“Fathers and brothers.” If you’ve been to a presbytery meeting, General Assembly, or PCA gathering, you’ll recognize this greeting. These words serve as a reminder that when we address our fellow elders, we are speaking to men whom we honor and labor alongside in the work of the church.
But these words also remind us of the elders who have gone before us – men whose faith, example, and encouragement call us to be faithful in our own time and place. One such elder is the Rev. Francis Grimké (1850–1937).
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in and appreciation for Grimké’s life and ministry, particularly through the publication of his meditations on preaching. Now Drew Martin’s “Grimké on the Christian Life” provides an even fuller picture of this remarkable pastor and leader. Martin’s work highlights Grimké’s deep commitment to biblical preaching, his theological clarity, and his pastoral heart—all formed in the crucible of his experience as a Black Presbyterian minister in post-Civil War America.
Why We Need This Book
This book does a commendable job of providing both a historical overview and a thoughtful analysis of Grimké’s life and ministry. The first two chapters lay a strong foundation, introducing readers to Grimké’s life and legacy while highlighting his commitment to rightly distinguishing between law and gospel—and his emphasis on preaching both. In other words, Grimké was unwavering in his commitment to preaching the whole counsel of God.
After these introductory chapters, Martin organizes his study into four parts, each addressing a different sphere of the Christian life. Part One explores key themes in the individual Christian life, such as identity and sanctification. Part Two summarizes Grimké’s view of the family, particularly marriage and the nurture and care of children. Part Three, which was my favorite section of the book, examines Grimké’s understanding of the church and its mission. Finally, Part Four considers the role of Christians in society.
The conclusion offers helpful reflections on Grimké’s vision of the Christian life. Martin helpfully quotes Grimké at length so that readers can learn about Grimké on his own terms.
This book is especially important for us today for several reasons.
First, Grimké models the unique blessing of a long ministry in one place. Aside from a four-year stint in Jacksonville, Florida, he served at Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., from 1878 until his retirement in 1928. He was so beloved by his congregation that they initially voted against dissolving their pastoral relationship with him so he could retire. In a time when long pastoral tenures are increasingly rare, Grimké provides a compelling example of a ministry committed to a particular people and place for the long haul.
Second, in this book we learn how Grimké, according to Martin, “offers a portrait of the Christian life that cuts across today’s debates on Christian living that tend to polarize so-called conservative and progressive Christians” (15). The clearest example of this is that Grimké was a strong advocate for the spiritual mission of the church – meaning that the church’s primary task in the world is to proclaim the message of the gospel – and yet he was also one of the founders of the NAACP.
Grimké was committed to gospel preaching and individual social activism. He was committed to the “ordinary means of grace” (Westminster Shorter Catechism 88) and a distinctively Christian social engagement. Carter Woodson, in his introduction to “The Works of Francis J. Grimké” puts it aptly:
Dr. Francis Grimké had a keen conception of the dignity of the church and in his ministry never permitted his congregation to diverge from these ideals. Christian men and women were urged to support movements projected for equality and justice but to operate through the channels established for this purpose. The church was God’s altar, and this thought should be ever in the minds of those who sought the court of the Lord.
The third reason closely follows the second reason; as Martin observes, Grimké was excellent at making careful distinctions in the Christian life, but he did not divide the Christian life. Martin writes:
He distinguished between preaching the gospel and fighting racial prejudice, but he did not separate the two. He distinguished sacred from secular knowledge, vocations, and issues, but he did not oppose them. He valued both the individual and the corporate aspects of Christian life and piety. He saw the importance of Christian work in the church, in society, and in the state but he did not confuse or collapse the different spheres (16).
This is important because many Christians in our day are tempted to collapse the categories that Martin lists above, or they divide the Christian life, making it a private religion that has no bearing on public life. Grimké models for us a way to make careful distinctions and yet keep them together.
A fourth reason this book is important is because we need to be reminded that there is a rich legacy of African American Presbyterians who by God’s grace have faithfully served in our beloved theological and ecclesiastical tradition. Instead of choosing to form a separate Black Presbyterian denomination, individuals like Grimké served as fathers and brothers, seeking to see people from every nation, tribe, and tongue live out their chief aim in life, “to glorify God and enjoy him forever” (WSC 1).
A Cloud of Witnesses
A passage of Scripture that often brings me great encouragement is Hebrews 12:1. The preacher exhorts his congregation by telling them that in their Christian race, they are “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.” These are individuals who, by their example and faith, encourage us to press on and “hold fast the confession of our hope” (Hebrews 10:23). When I reflect on this scene, I think of the many faithful saints who are among that cloud of witnesses, including Grimké.
As we labor in the church today, we do not do so alone. We stand in a long line of faithful men who have gone before us, fathers and brothers in the faith whose voices still speak. Grimké is one such elder, calling us to faithfulness in our own time and place. Martin’s “Grimké on the Christian Life” introduces us to this remarkable pastor and reminds us that his theological depth, pastoral wisdom, and unwavering commitment to Christ continue to shape and challenge the church.
To remember our fathers and brothers is not just to honor the past; it is to be strengthened for the present. Grimké’s life and ministry encourage us to stand firm, to shepherd well, and to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.
DeMyron Haynes serves as pastor of New City Fellowship in Grand Rapids, Michigan.