Episcopal Press and News

Tennessee Votes to Divide Diocese

Episcopal News Service. March 5, 1981 [81075]

MEMPHIS -- At its midwinter convention here, the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee voted to ask the 1982 General Convention for consent to create a new diocese in west Tennessee by January 1983 and another in east Tennessee by January 1985. Middle Tennessee, site of the three oldest Episcopal parishes, will be the continuing diocese.

The proposal won affirmation by nearly a 90 percent majority vote: 344 to 44. It is envisioned that the three dioceses will collaborate in clergy deployment, use of DuBose Conference Center at Monteagle, and several other areas of church life. The present 600-mile-wide diocese includes more than 41,000 baptized persons (31,000 communicants) in 72 parishes and 43 missions served by about 140 priests and deacons.

Bishop William E. Sanders, whose office is located in Knoxville -- which is in east Tennessee -- has not announced which area he will choose as his new jurisdiction. Suffragan Bishop Fred Gates of Memphis will retire when the new west Tennessee diocese is formed.