November 16, 2017 My dear Friends: I just got back from a quick trip to Providence, Rhode Island, where I presented a paper at the national meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society. Since 1995, when I presented my first academic paper at ETS, I’ve periodically gone to the annual meeting. Most of the time now, I’m invited to participate in a panel; this time was no exception—it was a panel looking at four denominations which underwent reformations during the 20th century. As you’d expect, I talked about the PCA and drew material from my book, For a Continuing Church: The Roots of the Presbyterian Church in America. Our panel had a middling turnout (it ranged from 25 to 60 people in the room at any given time over the three hours), but it was good to reconnect with a few old friends. What was especially neat, though, was seeing Providence. For those who haven’t been there and don’t know its history, Providence Plantation was founded by Roger Williams, who is accounted the first significant Baptist leader in America. He had come through Boston, but was driven from that settlement for his “unorthodox” views with regard to infant baptism (which he rejected) and soul liberty (which he affirmed). He made his way about 60 miles southwest of Boston and founded Providence in 1636; two years later, he organized the first Baptist church in America. The church still worships together—it occupies a beautiful 1775 structure. In addition, Roger Williams has a national heritage site to remember him by. It was fun to see these American religious history sites that I never thought I’d see. It was also fun to run (literally) through Brown University, one of the Ivies and originally a Baptist college. Though not as prominent as Harvard, Yale, or Princeton, Brown was beautiful in its own way with several buildings on its main quadrangle dating to the mid-eighteenth century. And the houses in that College Hill neighborhood were beautiful—large homes built in the late 19th century, wonderfully preserved and cared for. It was fun to run in the city Tuesday night and then again Wednesday morning; I find that I get to know a place better when I can see it on foot—I can do that faster by running! But there’s nothing like coming home. One of the flight attendants on the leg from Atlanta to Memphis asked me, “So are you going to Memphis for business or are you going home?” It was so good to be able to say, “I’m going home!” Looking forward to seeing you this coming Sunday as we worship together as a family coming home! In the grip of God’s grace,
Rev. Sean Michael Lucas, PhD Senior Pastor Independent Presbyterian Church Memphis, TN