EXPANDING THE MISSION FIELD…AFFIRMED

On our trips to the Holy Land, one of the first stops of the trip is always Caesarea Maritima, the port on the Mediterranean from which the Apostle Paul likely sailed on his 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^thmissionary journeys.

Each time I stand on that shore looking out across the Mediterranean Sea, I wonder if I, as a disciple, would have had the courage to make such a voyage. In our ordination text at Annual Conference, we read from II Corinthians 4 where Paul gives an accounting of the hardship he endured. Nonetheless, Paul continued to feel the call of God to expand his mission field.

Over the last two weeks, you have considered the possibility of expanding the mission fields of the Memphis and Tennessee Conferences.  On June 3 the Memphis Conference voted on the possibility of becoming a new conference, and likewise, on June 13 the Tennessee Conference cast their vote.

Today, June 17, 2019, the respective conference secretaries met in Nashville to count the votes. I am pleased to report to you that both lay and clergy voted to support creating a new conference by 68% affirmation.

Thanks to all who have diligently led our work to explore expanding our mission and vision across the Nashville Episcopal Area by forming a new conference.

May God continue to grant the wisdom to live into the vision of expanding our mission field.

As we have continuously said for the last 7 years, “nothing is sacred but the mission.”

May the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-39) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) guide our steps as we Discover, Connect, Equip and Send lay and clergy leaders who shape congregations that offer Christ to a hurting world one neighborhood at a time.

Bishop McAlilly