The Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee

10/07/2026

A deconsecration service marks the transition of a church building from sacred use while giving thanks for generations of worship, ministry, and community life, and entrusting the congregation's ongoing mission to new expressions of ministry. The service also acknowledges both loss and hope, reminding us that the Church's life and mission continue beyond any particular building.

Deconsecration services will be held at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 4150 Boeingshire Dr., Memphis, on Monday, Oct. 12, at 6 p.m.; Church of the Good Shepherd, 1971 Jackson Ave., Memphis, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6 p.m.; and St. Joseph Episcopal Church, 604 St. Paul Ave., Memphis, on Monday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m. These congregations are among those that have come together to form St. Constance Episcopal Church. All are welcome to join in these services of thanksgiving, remembrance, and prayer for the future.

10/02/2026

October 1, 2026
The Honorable Bill Lee
Governor of Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee

Dear Governor Lee:

Grace and peace to you.

We write as bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, The Episcopal Church, and the Roman Catholic Church, serving Christians and communities throughout Tennessee and the Southeast, to respectfully and urgently ask you to commute the death sentence of Christa Gail Pike and ensure that the State of Tennessee does not attempt to execute her again.

We make this appeal mindful of the horrific murder of Colleen Slemmer and the immeasurable grief endured by her family and those who loved her. Nothing in our request diminishes the gravity of that crime, the preciousness of Colleen’s life, or the legitimate responsibility of the state to hold those who commit violence accountable.

Yet accountability need not require another death.

Our churches have long and consistently opposed capital punishment. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has called for the abolition of the death penalty, affirming that society can be protected through alternative punishment while refusing to perpetuate violence through ex*****on. The Episcopal Church likewise has opposed the death penalty for decades and has called for existing death sentences to be commuted. For decades, the Roman Catholic Church has called the death penalty unnecessary to protect society and still punish those who have committed grave crimes.

These convictions arise from the heart of our Christian faith. We believe every human being bears the image of God and therefore possesses a dignity that even the most grievous sin cannot erase. We believe in accountability, but we also believe in repentance, redemption, mercy, and the possibility of transformation. As Scripture reminds us, God “desires mercy, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13).

The events surrounding Tennessee’s attempted ex*****on of Ms. Pike make this appeal even more urgent. After the state administered its prescribed lethal drugs and she nevertheless survived, another attempt to take her life would compound an already grave situation. We are grateful that you have ordered an independent review of what occurred. We believe this moment also calls for an act of mercy.

Governor Lee, we therefore respectfully ask you to exercise the authority entrusted to your office and commute Christa Pike’s death sentence to a sentence that protects the public while preserving her life.

Such an act does not deny justice. It declares that justice need not become vengeance and that the State of Tennessee can choose restraint, human dignity, and mercy.

As Christian bishops, we believe the Gospel continually calls us beyond cycles of violence and death toward the difficult work of justice, reconciliation, repentance, and life. In that hope, we respectfully ask you to grant clemency.

May God grant you wisdom, courage, and compassion as you exercise the solemn responsibilities of your office.

The Revered Dr. Kevin L. Strickland
Bishop of the Southeastern Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Atlanta, GA

The Right Reverend Phoebe A. Roaf
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee
Memphis, TN

The Right Reverend John Crawford Bauerschmidt
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee

The Right Reverend Brian Lee Cole
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee
Knoxville, TN

The Most Reverend David P.Talley
Roman Catholic Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee
Memphis, TN 38134

The Most Reverend J. Mark Spalding
Roman Catholic Bishop of the Nashville Catholic
Nashville, TN

The Most Reverend Mark Beckman
Roman Catholic Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville
Knoxville, TN 37919

09/30/2026

Please join us in praying regularly for the important work of the Diocese's Strategic Visioning Transformation Team. The Rev. Dorothy White, who serves as chaplain to the team, has written a prayer asking God's guidance, wisdom, and grace as this discernment process continues and leaders seek a life-giving, life-affirming vision for our future together. We invite all congregations, ministry groups, and individuals across West Tennessee to pray regularly for this work.

Eternal God, we give you thanks for those who are called to plan and collaborate as our Diocese walks into the future. We ask for your wisdom and grace as our Transformation Team seeks to discern a life-giving and life-affirming vision for our community. As we learn to love our neighbors as ourselves, grant that we are renewed in our commitment to You and to one another. We trust that You will guide, protect, and direct their efforts in Jesus’ name. Amen.

09/29/2026

Since last week, Bishop Phoebe has been in attendance at the Fall 2026 meeting of the House of Bishops at Camp Allen, Texas. Highlights included meeting and hearing from the Most Rev. Sarah Mullally, Archbishop of Canterbury, spending time with friends and colleagues including her fellow Black female bishops, and speaking on a panel alongside the Rt. Rev. Betsey Monnot (Iowa), the Rt. Rev. Russell Kendrick (Central Gulf Coast) and the Rt. Rev. Angela Cortinas (West Texas). On the panel, Bishop Phoebe discussed the relationship between the bishop and the cathedral.

Read the House of Bishop's post-meeting pastoral letter to the Church here: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/uncategorized/a-pastoral-word-to-the-episcopal-church-from-the-september-2026-gathering-of-the-house-of-bishops/

09/23/2026

The bishops of Tennessee (Bp. Phoebe Roaf, Bp. John Bauerschmidt, and Bp. Brian Cole) send their greetings from the Fall House of Bishops meeting at !

09/14/2026

09/11/2026

A letter from Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 Sep 11, 2026 Dear People of God in The Episcopal Church: Twenty-five years on, we live in a world shaped by 9/11. Our lament will never end for those who died in the attacks, those who gave of their lives in the days and weeks....

08/26/2026

May Dolly Parton rest in peace and rise in glory!