Hi, I’m Bishop Brian. Over these last past few days, I had been home in Missouri and Arkansas to be with my mom as she died and to participate in her funeral. That trip back to Missouri and to Arkansas also included some time in Memphis, Tennessee with my eldest brother and his wife, looking over family photos, looking at old letters and essays my father had written and various attempts at poetry and correspondence between my mother and

Deborah Austin, an East Tennessee Episcopalian and lover of justice, has received the last annual award of a special full-ride scholarship to Bexley Seabury Seminary. Backed by an anonymous donor for a limited period of three years, the St. Marina scholarship is awarded to only one incoming seminarian who is out publicly as LGBTQ+, demonstrates a commitment to justice ministry, has a good GPA, and plans to study full-time. The scholarship will support Austin in her studies with funds for

The Episcopal Church Women of East Tennessee have awarded Ashton Mayo-Beavers with the 2020-2021 Mollie Tucker Scholarship. Ashton is a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Knoxville. She graduated from Chattanooga High’s Center for Creative Arts with a 3.96 GPA and gained many accolades from her church, high school, and dance communities. She has served as an Episcopal Youth Ambassador for the Diocese of East Tennessee and is an experienced acolyte, having served in the ordination of Bishop Brian Cole.

We are sad to share the news of a death in our diocesan family. Betty Sue Cole, mother of Bishop Brian Cole, passed away this morning. Betty Sue Cole will be buried at Harvey’s Chapel in Marmaduke, Arkansas, on Wednesday, August 19. This is the same town where she was born in 1931. Bishop Brian will officiate at a family graveside service. Almighty God, our Father in heaven, before whom live all who die in the Lord: Receive our sister

 Bishop Brian calls us to explore our faith in the growing Christ in reading A Life Together: Wisdom of Community from the Christian East by Bishop Seraphim Sigrist. Find a copy from your favorite local or online bookseller and read it with us as we explore this book in the coming weeks.

July 29, 2020 Dear East Tennessee Friends, I am writing you today to make you aware of the membership of the Becoming Beloved Community Task Force for our Diocese. My prayer and hope is that this group of leaders will guide our work in Becoming Beloved Community, the Church-wide initiative of anti-racism efforts in and through the Episcopal Church. The work of anti-racism is rooted in our baptismal promises “to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 (ESV) Dear East Tennessee Friends, On June 24th, at a socially distanced and masked meeting at Diocesan House, the Vestry of St Thomas Episcopal Church, Knoxville, met with me and Canon Michelle Bolt. In a meeting that included many moments of holy silence and deep sighs that God understood perfectly, the St. Thomas Vestry voted unanimously to engage a process of closing their parish church, with their

A Sermon at the Priesting of Michele Simmons Church of the Good Shepherd Lookout Mountain, TN July 1, 2020 (Pauli Murray) Philippians 4:1-9 Matthew 9:35-38 For the last several years, decades even now, those of us who serve and live inside of the Christian story as a gathered people have spoken about change. We have spoken about how the world is changing. We have spoken about how the Church is changing, or should be changing, in order to meet the

June 17, 2020 Dear East Tennessee Friends, I write to you today on the fifth anniversary of the Mother Emanuel AME Church massacre. After being welcomed into a Bible study at Mother Emanuel, a young white man, fueled by racist hatred, killed nine members of Mother Emanuel, including their pastor, and wounded three more. Many of us hoped and prayed that the blood of these martyrs would be enough for us to make the changes necessary to be a different