Fourth Bishop of the Diocese of East Tennessee from June 25, 2011 to December 2, 2017.
The Rt. Rev. George Dibrell Young, III was ordained and consecrated fourth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee on June 25, 2011. He was elected Feb. 12, 2011, during the electing portion of the 27th Annual Convention of the diocese, succeeding the Rt. Rev. Charles Glenn vonRosenberg, who retired in June 2011.
Born in Jacksonville, Fla., on Sept. 28, 1955, George Young graduated from Florida State University, with a bachelor of science in 1978. He earned his master of divinity degree in 1990 from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill.
In 1981, he married Kathryn Mary (Kammy) Beich, who also graduated from Florida State University and earned her master of divinity degree from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in 1992. The Rev. Kammy Young served as a priest in the Diocese of Florida for 20 years, and is now the Director of Contextual Education and Lecturer in Contextual Theology at the School of Theology, University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee.
The Youngs have two children, a daughter, Lucy, and a son, George.
Ordained as a priest in 1990, Young served as a director of religious education in Northbrook, Ill., then as rector at a church in Jacksonville, Fla., before accepting a call to be rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Fernandina Beach, Fla., in 1997.
While rector of St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, Fla., Young served as president of the Northside Ministerial Alliance of Jacksonville, 1994-1996. During this time, he also served on the diocesan Stewardship Committee, was the chair of the Diocesan Nominating Committee, and served on the Board of Regents for the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, continuing the positions through his transition and into his service at St. Peter’s Church. In 1997, he became a member of the Fernandina Beach Ministerial Alliance, serving as treasurer in 2000-2004 and president in 2010. Young has served as General Convention alternate and deputy, attending the 2003, 2006 and 2009 General Conventions. In 2009, he was the deputation chair for the Diocese of Florida. He also served on the Diocese of Florida Standing Committee, 2005-2007, and as president of the committee in 2006 and 2007. He has also been active with continuing education for clergy.
Young is a graduate of the Clergy Leadership Project, Class XXIII, 2010-2011.
He served as a board member of the Barnabas Center, 1998-2004, and as president of the board 2001-2003. The center is a non-profit organization that provides residents of Nassau County, Fla., with crisis assistance including food, medical and dental services, and rent and utilities assistance.
During his tenure, Young focused on building connections; and on following God into our neighborhoods to see where the Holy Spirit is already at work through the Living Local: Joining God initiative. He raised funds for adult housing at Grace Point Camp and Retreat Center through a campaign that is still in process. Young held gatherings of diocesan youth ministers throughout the diocese that built connections and strengthened diocesan youth ministry. He restarted the college ministry in Chattanooga under the Project Canterbury title, and birthed Southside Abbey, while continuing support of the powerful college ministries at Tyson House on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Emmaus House at East Tennessee State University.
Young worked with Knox County faith leaders to build “Justice Knox,” a gathering of people of all faiths to address and respond powerfully to problems in our community.
He connected the communities of senior wardens, and retired clergy, by holding gatherings for networking, honest conversation, and informal time together.
He encouraged the people in the diocese to step outside politics and focus on areas of call found in the Gospels – writing pastoral letters regarding refugees, same-sex marriage, and health care.
Young valued humor as a God-given gift and often interjected humor into his sermons, committee meetings and personal interactions.
Young and his wife, Kammy, are currently living in Pensacola, Florida, joining their daughter, son-in-law and son who live in the city.