Report Of The Advisory Group Toward Creating a New Conference

The Nashville Episcopal Area

Report Of The Advisory Group Toward

Creating a New Conference

Fall Update, 2018

Over the last several months, an advisory group made up of lay and clergy members began the hopeful and challenging work of living into the decision of the 2018 Annual Conference to continue the work of alignment between the Memphis Conference and the Tennessee Conference.

The primary question to be answered in these last months is do we simply adopt best practices of the two conferences or do we strive to truly to become a new conference with a new vision and a refined mission?

The answer the advisory group has adopted is that we must create a new entity focusing our energy on what God is leading us toward rather than simply blending the two entities.  We believe God is saying to us: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:19)

The group agrees on the following:

We believe that the local church is the primary disciple-making entity in the conference.

We believe that we are called, through the leadership of the Holy Spirit, to create a culture within the conference where we:

• Lead with Grace
• Discover, connect, equip and send well-qualified lay and clergy leaders who are spiritual leaders
• Are wise stewards of resources as we maximize the resources at the local church
• Foster Innovative expressions of Church
• Foster Innovative expressions of leadership
• Expect a Diverse Church
• Discover and engage with young people in leadership
• Foster emotional intelligence among leaders
• Expect excellence in communication among leaders
• Reflect, Adjust, Do, as we move forward with regard to all ministries
• Hold one another accountable in love
• Celebrate God’s work

The group has organized teams to begin work around the following opportunities: Benefits, Finance & Funding, Property, and Conference Organization & Mission.

The Advisory Group will meet again in early December. Please continue to be in prayer for us as we continue this work.