Robert William Lowry (pastor)

Robert William Lowry is an American pastor and LGBTQIA+ activist. He is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Lowry serves as senior pastor of Westover Hills Presbyterian Church in Little Rock, Arkansas.[1][2]

Early life and family

Lowry was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, one of two children born to Catherine (née Ostner), a college professor, and Robert Cunningham Lowry, an attorney. Through his father, Lowry is descended from Matthew Cunningham, the first mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas.[3] He was educated in the Little Rock Public schools and attended Little Rock Central High School. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Millsaps College as well as the Master of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, the Master of Theological Studies from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, the Master of Arts in Political Theology from Union Presbyterian Seminary, and the Doctor of Ministry from Columbia Theological Seminary.[1] Lowry is married to Brian Smith a corporate attorney.[4]

Activism

Lowry, who is openly gay, led a group of clergy in opposition to Arkansas HB 1228, a law that aimed to increase "judicial scrutiny" in cases involving religious beliefs and LGBT people[5] as well as joining colleagues in opposing an earlier “bathroom bill” aimed at transgender persons.[6] In 2015, in recognition of his work for LGBTQIA+ equality, the Arkansas Times named Lowry one of 25 Visionary Arkansans shaping the state.[7]

Lowry's pastorate at an LGBTQ affirming congregation in Jackson, Mississippi led to a feature episode in the PBS docuseries Prideland.[8] Despite threats to the network and Lowry personally, the series premiered as scheduled and became one of the most successful digital features on the network.[9][10]

Lowry is an occasional contributor to both local and national media on topics including the role of religion in public life, LGBTQIA+ rights, politics, and gun violence prevention.[11][12][13] He is also a critic of PC(USA) policy toward states like Texas and Florida which he says “ring hollow” in the face of humanitarian violations like those allegedly committed by these states.[14]

Following the adoption of a resolution at the 225th General Assembly of the PC(USA) referring to Israel as "an apartheid state," Lowry took a public stand against the church's action. Congregation B’nai Israel, Reform Jewish congregation, invited Lowry to speak on the topic at a Friday evening Shabbat service.[15]

In 2024, Lowry was named one of 26 inaugural "preaching fellows" of the Center for Faith and Justice.[16]

Pastorates

According to the directory of pastors of the PC(USA), he has served in a number of positions in the church [17] as both an installed (permanent) and interim/transitional (temporary) pastor including:

  • First Presbyterian Church Shreveport, LA Associate Pastor 2001-2002
  • First Presbyterian Church Ann Arbor, MI Associate Pastor 2002-2005
  • First Presbyterian Church Searcy, AR Transitional Pastor 2007-2010
  • First Presbyterian Church Batesville, AR Transitional Pastor 2010-2011
  • First Presbyterian Church Clarksville, AR Transitional Pastor 2011-2016
  • Harmony Presbyterian Church Clarksville, AR Transitional Pastor 2011-2016
  • Fondren Presbyterian Church Jackson, MS Senior Pastor 2017-2022
  • Westover Hills Presbyterian Church Little Rock, AR Senior Pastor 2022–Present

References

  1. 1 2 "The Reverend Dr. Robert Lowry – Westover Hills Presbyterian Church". Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  2. ↑ Morris, Clay B. (2020-06-18). "Proud to be Gay and Leading a Loving Congregation". Mississippi Free Press. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  3. ↑ "Obituary for Robert "Bob" Cunningham Lowry, Sarasota, FL". www.arkansasonline.com. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  4. ↑ https://whpclr.org/staff/
  5. ↑ Millar, Lindsey (2015-03-30). "Presbyterian ministers speak out against anti-gay HB 1228". Arkansas Times. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  6. ↑ "Clergy Letter and Press Release" (PDF). Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  7. ↑ Peacock, Leslie Newell (2015-08-27). "Visionary Arkansans 2015". Arkansas Times. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  8. ↑ Prideland | An Openly Gay Pastor's Journey to Acceptance in the South | Episode 2, retrieved 2022-08-04
  9. ↑ "Hate Group Demands PBS Cancel LGBT Pride Month Series: 'An Unjust Attack On Christianity' - Towleroad Gay News". 2020-05-15. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  10. ↑ "PBS Celebrates Pride Month with PRIDELAND, a Short-Form Digital Series and New One-Hour Special with Host and Actor Dyllón Burnside, Exploring LGBTQ+ Identity in the U.S. South". About PBS - Main. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  11. ↑ Lowry, Rev Jill Barnes Buckley and Rev Dr Robert William. "Partisanship threatens Mississippi hospitality". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  12. ↑ Ganucheau, Adam (2021-01-01). "'We will take it from here': Homily in memory of former Gov. William Winter". Mississippi Today. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  13. ↑ "Celebrating Pride Month with Rob Lowry". Faith And Reason. 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  14. ↑ Lowry, Robert (2024-02-08). "PC(USA) Response to Texas Migrant Tactics Falls Short". Presbyterian Outlook. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  15. ↑ "The Chronicle Congregation B'Nai Israel" (PDF). September 25, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  16. ↑ Admin (2024-07-16). "Preaching Justice Fellows 2024-25". Center for Faith and Justice. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  17. ↑ https://ogaapps.pcusa.org/directories/#/minister?firstName=robert&lastName=lowry
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