Announcement Regarding Annual Conference

Annual Conference 2020

In consultation with conference leaders and considering the best information we have available to us, I have determined it will be necessary to postpone the 2020 session of Annual Conference. This decision is based on the continual rise in the number of cases of Coronavirus in Tennessee and the projection of future cases rising in our Episcopal area.

As soon as we discern when we are able to reschedule our two conference sessions, we will give you that information. Our annual conferences will likely be held in August or September, depending on the availability of venues.

The later date will raise the question of moving dates. I project that pastors will be in the new appointment beginning August 1, 2020, with a moving date of July 28. However, the effective retirement date will remain June 30, 2020.

We will work with congregations where there are planned retirements on a case by case basis to determine the best way to manage the departure of a retiring pastor. The District Superintendents and Pastor Parish Relations Committees will consult on the most effective way to address these few situations.

We expect a streamlined session of Annual Conference using new virtual tools and creative options for the work of annual conference. We will make sure to incorporate the essential celebrations, remembrances, and holy conferencing that are important to all of us.

General and Jurisdictional Conferences

General Conference and Jurisdictional Conference will be postponed until 2021. What this means practically for our future is that we will be unable to complete the timeline we had proposed for creating our new conference. Instead, we must wait until the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference meets in 2021 to receive the required approval for creating the new conference.

Therefore, it is expected that the new conference will not be in full operation until January 1, 2022. I assure you that we will continue to work toward our new conference by further aligning our ministries between the two conferences and building relationships around as many of our strategic initiatives as possible.

Our timeline gained extra time to complete our task, but we will not stop taking next steps. I like to say the distance to the goal line has moved but the objective has not changed.

Thanks again to all of you who are being nimble and creative in this unusual season. Your faithful response to a new reality is bringing a new era to the history of being the church.