The Reverend Professor Robert Wright Lee, IV is an author, activist, commentator, professor, and preacher. Lee is a native of Statesville, NC, and graduate of Duke University Divinity School. He received his Master of Theological Studies in May of 2017, with a focus in practical theology and homiletics on an endowed scholarship. Rob completed his undergraduate work in Religious Studies and Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University where he met his wife Stephanie. He also is pursuing doctoral work at Wesley Theological Seminary.

Rev. Prof. Lee has written extensively for both secular and religious news outlets. Starting with a regular column in the Statesville Record and Landmark, Rob’s work has grown and appeared in outlets such as NPR’s Weekend Edition, Ministry Matters, the Methodist Federation for Social Action, The Huffigton Post, the Common English Bible: Student Edition, The Raleigh News and Observer and The Washington Post. He has preached from notable churches such as the Historic Ebenezer Church in Atlanta, Madison Avenue Baptist Church in New York City, Foundry United Methodist Church in DC, and Harvard’s Memorial Church in Cambridge.

Rob, a nephew, generations removed of Confederate General Robert E. Lee has been engaged as an activist in the field of racial reconciliation. He participated in the 2017 MTV Video Music awards and was on ABC’s The View where he spoke about the need to confront white supremacy and white privilege in white churches. Rob has written one book, Stained-Glass Millennials (Smyth and Helwys 2017). His second book, A Sin by Any Other Name will be released in April of 2019, by Convergent Books, Penguin Random House.

Currently, Rev. Prof. Lee serves as a faculty lecturer at Appalachian State University, his alma mater, where he teaches on the intersection of narrative, religion and race relations. He lives in Statesville with his wife and poodle, Frank.