The Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee



The Rt. Rev. John C. Bauerschmidt: Letter Regarding St. Andrew's Nashville

 

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

On October 30th, the Bishop and the Diocese of Tennessee will bring a Complaint for Declaratory Judgment in Chancery Court in Davidson County against the Rector, Wardens, and Vestry of St Andrew’s Parish, Nashville.  I take this action with a heavy heart, conscious of the gravity of such an action, but convinced that in doing so I am discharging my responsibilities as bishop after having exhausted all other possibilities that are in keeping with my office.

 

It has been over three years since the leadership of St Andrew’s Church wrote Bishop Herlong to inform him that they were disaffiliating from the Diocese of Tennessee and the Episcopal Church, effective on November 1st, 2006.  Since the beginning of my episcopate I have worked to establish a relationship with St Andrew’s Church, which under the Constitution and Canons of the Diocese and of the Episcopal Church remains a parish of the Diocese of Tennessee.  I have met twice with the Rector and Vestry, and have made two Visitations to St Andrew’s Church.  I have also corresponded numerous times with the Rector to remind him of the parish’s obligation to file the annual Parochial Report and to attend the Diocesan Convention, which they have not done since 2006.

 

My desire is for St Andrew’s Church to participate in the life of the Diocese of Tennessee.  Though St Andrew’s leadership engaged legal counsel and began a process of taking depositions preliminary to a lawsuit over two years ago, we have continued to show restraint and a wish to establish and deepen relationships with St Andrew’s members.  This fall, after a renewed invitation from me in the spring to participate fully in the life of the Diocese with no penalty, the leadership of the parish reaffirmed their wish not to be a part of the Diocese of Tennessee.

 

This leaves us with no other option than to acknowledge the decisions made by the leadership of St Andrew’s, and to follow through with our responsibilities to the Church in Tennessee.  By leaving the Diocese, parish leadership has forfeited property held in trust by the Diocese for the use of the Episcopal Church, a condition freely agreed to by parish leadership at the time of the assignment of the deed.  St Andrew’s leadership has rejected our inquiries about the possible sale or lease of the property to the disaffiliating group.  The Rector, Wardens, and Vestry of the parish have now abdicated their roles under the very Canons which empowered them to function as parish leaders.  The Constitution and Canons of the Diocese are very clear about the responsibilities of the bishop in these cases and require the bishop to act.  This Complaint is the only recourse left to us.

 

Our preferred resolution remains the full participation of St Andrew’s Church in the Diocese of Tennessee.  We have explored all options and sought to resolve this in good faith.  The Bishop and Diocesan leadership have a responsibility to see that resources dedicated over the years to the Episcopal Church are used for the Episcopal Church.  Please continue to pray for the Diocese of Tennessee, for St Andrew’s Church, and for all our parishes and missions.

 

Yours faithfully,

The Rt. Rev’d John Bauerschmidt

Bishop of Tennessee

 

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