My dear Friends: As you probably saw, yesterday our ministry staff joined nearly 150 other clergy throughout our city in supporting our mayor’s desire to relocate the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue to a more historically appropriate site (https://medium.com/@MayorMemphis/clergyletter-b1e5ae3513aa). The Commercial Appeal may also publish an op-ed co-signed by Stephen Cook and me, explaining why we signed the letter. But I wanted to take this opportunity to explain this to you, both the specifics of this situation and my larger sense of how I approach issues like this. I am not a big signer of open letters or declarations. Every year, I am asked to sign a range of things—part of that is the result of my role and involvement in the Presbyterian Church in America, part of that is the congregations I have served. Two recent examples were the Charlottesville and Nashville statements. I agreed with much in both of them; however, I didn’t sign either. Why? Because I’m not certain that such documents actually produce much in the way of good, especially things that are actionable. I’m not very interested in being part of groups just to be part of them; rather, I desire movement and action on the issues about which we most care. However, I will sign—as I did in this instance—when I think that doing so can advance the larger goals of relationship building, reconciliation, and action in our local place. Quite simply, I signed because I wanted to stand with our African American brothers and sisters in Christ to tell them that I believe that the Gospel of Jesus compels me into the way of love, humility, and peace to stand with them on this issue. If we can build bridges and put feet on to our session’s previous declarations regarding the Gospel and race, then I want to do that. That’s why I agreed to sign the open letter and why, when I was drafted by the other ministers to write the op-ed piece, I agreed to do so as well. Of course, I recognize that some of you will disagree with what we did. Others of you will wonder whether this will lead us and our church onto the slippery slope of commenting on every political, cultural, or social matter that occurs in the life of our city. Even though you don’t know me well, I hope you know enough about me to trust that my main desire for us is to be a Jesus-centered people. That’s how we become new people: we live our lives centered on Jesus, following him to bear witness to the transforming grace of God experienced in him. But as new people, we long for a new city to emerge in our place. That means, at times, we will have to take stands: not only on racial justice issues, but on legal justice; abortion, fostering, and adoption; pornography and sex trafficking; and a range of other matters that are covered in our Larger Catechism under the Ten Commandments. But my prayer and aspiration for us—passionate for Jesus-exalting worship, grace-infused community, outward-faced mission—hasn’t and won’t change. I hope you will join me as we go forward together. In the grip of God’s grace,
Rev. Sean Michael Lucas, PhD Senior Pastor Independent Presbyterian Church Memphis, TN