From the Three Episcopal Bishops of Tennessee
Joint Statement on Amendment 3
We, the Bishops of the three Episcopal dioceses which comprise the state of Tennessee, are all agreed that the effort to pass Amendment 3 in the November 8, 2022, election is an important step in righting a historical wrong. In the Episcopal Church, whenever we baptize new believers or renew our own baptismal vows, we promise to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving [our] neighbor as [ourselves]” and “to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” Every human being. It is our Christian faith that motivates us to support Amendment 3, believing that slavery and involuntary servitude have no place in our state. We invite the members of our Episcopal parish churches across the state to join us in supporting Amendment 3.
The Rt. Rev. Phoebe Roaf
Bishop of West Tennessee
The Rt. Rev. John Bauerschmidt
Bishop of Tennessee
The Rt. Rev. Brian L. Cole
Bishop of East Tennessee
About the Yes on Amendment 3 Campaign
“We are members of every political party and no political party. We are from the mountain valleys of Johnson City to the city streets of Memphis and everywhere in between. We may disagree on politics, religion, and sports teams, but the one thing that unites us is the belief that slavery, in any form, is wrong and has no place in Tennessee’s constitution.”
The Yes on 3 Tennessee campaign seeks to remove slavery from the Tennessee state constitution.
Here is an article from the Episcopal News Service with more information about nation-wide and denominational-wide efforts to remove slavery from our legal texts.