Dear Diocese of East Tennessee,
It is with both excitement and sadness that I share that I am stepping down as your Missioner for Youth and Young Adult Ministry to begin a career in financial advising. It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role for the past two years. It has been a privilege to walk alongside our young people as they grow in their life and faith. I am grateful for all of the tears and laughs we have shared. Just because I will no longer be serving in this role, does not mean the relationships we have formed go away.
I am proud of all we have been able to accomplish these past few years. We have launched the Diocesan Youth Council to give the youth more ownership of our programs. We have continued to have strong engagement in Happening and New Beginnings, and we have added an annual Winter Camp to our calendar. We have organized a diocesan mission trip the past three summers. We have created new opportunities for our college students to stay engaged in youth ministry and explore their own call to ministry. And, we have worked to build our regional, collaborative ministries and created space for our parish youth directors to build community and collaborate more regularly.
I want to thank all of the youth directors around the diocese that I have gotten to partner with in this work. Thank you to everyone around the diocese who has supported these ministries. And thank you to all of the youth who have shown up to events willing to engage in community as your authentic selves.
I will continue living in Chattanooga and will be attending St. Paul’s as my home parish. I hope to see you all around soon, and I am excited to see what the future holds for youth ministry in the Diocese of East Tennessee. My last day in the diocesan office will be Friday, July 17, 2026.
Thank you,
Jesse Adkins