Robert E. Lee descendant leaves church after speaking against white supremacy

Reverend Robert Wright Lee IV, a descendent of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, left his church in North Carolina after members became worried about a speech the pastor gave against white supremacy at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).

“A faction of church members were concerned about my speech and that I lifted up Black Lives Matter movement, the Women’ s March, and Heather Heyer as examples of racial justice work,” Lee wrote in a post on the Auburn Theological Seminary website, referring to the woman who died at the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., last month when a man with alleged neo-Nazi ties plowed his car into a crowd.

“I want to stress that there were many in the congregation who supported my right to free speech, yet were uncomfortable with the attention the church was receiving. The church’s reaction was deeply hurtful to me.”

{mosads}Lee in his speech at the VMAs called on viewers to “confront racism and white supremacy head-on.”

Lee provided his resignation once the church decided to vote on his tenure after the speech.

“There are so many good things going on with this congregation and I do not want my fight to detract from the mission. If the recent media attention causes concern with my church, I reluctantly offer my resignation,” Lee wrote in his resignation.

Lee was a pastor at Bethany United Church of Christ in Winston-Salem, N.C.

His speech at the awards show came several weeks after white nationalists gathered at a “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville to protest the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee.

This story was updated on Sept. 6 at 10:15 a.m.