The 43rd Diocesan Convention convened clergy, lay delegates, and visitors at the Church of the Holy Apostles in Collierville under the theme “Go Forth and Be Bold” (Acts 28:31). This ..read more

Saint John’s (Memphis) | Sun., Sept. 29 at 4 p.m. in the Cloister Courtyard. (The Greer St. gate will be open.) Your furry, feathery, or scaled family members are all welcome ..read more

To our diocesan community: It is with mixed emotions that we announce the departure of Brad Thompson, who has faithfully served as the Executive Director of St. Columba Episcopal Camp and Retreat Center since 2011. Effective September 1, Brad will assume the role of Executive Director at DaySpring Episcopal Conference Center, a ministry of The Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida. Brad’s tenure at St. Columba has been marked by remarkable growth and development. Under his leadership, St. Columba successfully executed a capital campaign, which culminated in a $3 million expansion of the faci ..read more

Day 7 (June 26, 2024) Day 6 (June 25, 2024) Day 5 (June 26, 2024) Day 4 (June 25, 2024) Day 3 (June 24, 2024) Day 2 (June 23, 2024) Day 1 (June 22, 2024 ..read more

To our Diocesan Community: I am writing to announce that I will be taking a sabbatical beginning December 1, 2024. This period of rest, reflection, and renewal is an essential aspect of the Episcopal Church’s commitment to the wellbeing of its clergy. In my sixteen years of ordained ministry, this will be my first sabbatical.   The sabbatical will begin on December 1, 2024, following General Convention this summer and our diocesan convention in November, and I will return to work on April 1, 2025. This time away will allow me to spend time with family and friends and to eng ..read more

Fourteen Do Good & Share Outreach Ministry Grants supporting outreach and community engagement  have been awarded by the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee. The grants total $36,772.00. The purpose of the Do Good & Share Ministry Grants program is to encourage small congregations to try new ways of getting to know their local communities through shared ministries and engagement. The Ministry Grants program is part of the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee’s Small Church Initiative, which began in 2020 ..read more

In the Ordination of Deacons, there is a sentence in the Examination stating, “You are to interpret to the Church the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world.” This sentence highlights the unique calling of the order of Deacons, which is to bring the needs of the world to the Church, and to bring the Church out into the world in response to those needs. The deacons of West Tennessee have been engaging in thoughtful and prayerful discussion around bringing one such need of the world forward each year and inviting all of us into awareness, ministry, and prayer together around that need. Our c ..read more

Dear Friends in Christ, This letter outlines the 2024 Bishop’s Missionary Appeal (BMA) and invites you to participate.  As we live into what it means to be the church of the 21st century, it is essential to have clergy who are equipped to handle the demands of the current era. The last group of seminarians from West Tennessee graduated in the spring of 2021. Since then, the Commission on Ministry – the diocesan group responsible for overseeing the discernment process – has evaluated the effectiveness of the process and recommended some changes. There are now five persons preparing for or ..read more

In December 2023, St. Columba Episcopal Camp and Retreat Center and Barth House Episcopal Center received some good news. They had each been awarded a Church Home Grant of $750,000. An annual grant of $150,000 over the next five years will help each organization “leverage successes that they’ve already had and continue growing into each of their own visions for who they are and how they’re serving people,” said Julia McDonald, Church Home Board Chair. McDonald, a lifelong parishioner of Grace-St. Luke’s in Memphis, is Vice President of Marketing & Communications at the Community Foundati ..read more

The Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee is pleased to announce the appointment of the Reverend Rob Courtney as its next Canon to the Ordinary. Father Rob’s service will begin on July 1, 2024.   A native of south Louisiana, Fr. Rob’s journey into ministry began after a successful career in radio, where he served as an on-air personality and program director. His transition to ministry was marked by his role as the first Parish Administrator at Christ Church Cathedral in New Orleans, where he discerned a calling to ordained ministry within the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana.  His ..read more