{"product_id":"dear-church-a-love-letter-from-a-black-preacher-to-the-whitest-denomination-in-the-us-9781506452562","title":"Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the US","description":"\u003cp\u003eLenny Duncan is the unlikeliest of pastors. Formerly incarcerated, he is now a black preacher in the whitest denomination in the United States: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Shifting demographics and shrinking congregations make all the headlines, but Duncan sees something else at work--drawing a direct line between the church's lack of diversity and the church's lack of vitality. The problems the ELCA faces are theological, not sociological. But so are the answers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart manifesto, part confession, and all love letter, \u003ci\u003eDear Church\u003c\/i\u003e offers a bold new vision for the future of Duncan's denomination and the broader mainline Christian community of faith. \u003ci\u003eDear Church\u003c\/i\u003e rejects the narrative of church decline and calls everyone--leaders and laity alike--to the front lines of the church's renewal through racial equality and justice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is time for the church to rise up, dust itself off, and take on forces of this world that act against God: whiteness, misogyny, nationalism, homophobia, and economic injustice. Duncan gives a blueprint for the way forward and urges us to follow in the revolutionary path of Jesus.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDear Church also features a discussion guide at the back--perfect for church groups, book clubs, and other group discussion.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDuncan, Lenny:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Lenny Duncan is the author of Dear Church, and Pastor of Jubilee Collective in Vancouver, Washington, where he also lives. He is board chaplain for Reconciling Works and his work has been featured on Code Switch and NPR's Morning Edition. For more of his work, follow Lenny on social media and subscribe to his Substack.","brand":"Fortress Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50416512270610,"sku":"9781506452562","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_50b811fc-cfb2-4ba4-8626-6035726b10ef.jpg?v=1729424127","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/dear-church-a-love-letter-from-a-black-preacher-to-the-whitest-denomination-in-the-us-9781506452562","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}