Latest News 

Spring Cleaning at SMEC
Saturday, March 26, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral: 700 Poplar Ave. (Memphis)

Everyone is invited to come for any amount of time to pitch in to keep our cathedral looking beautiful. Additionally, those staying through the lunch hour are invited to bring potluck-style lunch items to share: crock pots of soup, or something to complement. Cleaning supplies will be provided, and Building Manager Mark Henderson will be guiding us.

Safeguarding Trainings

• Clergy & Paid Church Staff
  April 30, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at St. Luke's (Jackson)
• Lay Ministry Volunteers
  May 14, 10 a.m. - noon at St. Luke's (Jackson)

In 2018, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church passed a complete overhaul of its Safeguarding programs, resulting in two new model Safe Church policies, one for children/youth and the other for vulnerable adults, and now new training curricula.

Recently, Bishop & Council revised our safeguarding policy to bring us into closer alignment with the model policies. You can find the new Safe Church Policy for Children and Youth at EDWTN.org.

Safe Church “Universal Training” is required for all ministry volunteers, clergy, and paid staff members. Additional specialized training is also required for clergy, staff members, and school workers. Training should be completed every three years. Anyone who has not attended training since Spring 2019 is in need of re-training.

Clergy & Church Staff Training Registration: tinyurl.com/SafeguardingApril. $15 fee includes lunch. 
Lay Ministry Volunteer Registration: tinyurl.com/SafeguardingMay2022. Free. 

Saint John's is recruiting new choir members. 

The choir of Saint John's Episcopal Church is recruiting! We are looking for dedicated singers, preferably with prior choral or instrumental experience. For additional information, please contact the Organist-Choirmaster, Dr. Vernon Snyder, at vernon@stjohnsmemphis.org, or 901-323-8597, ext. 26.

MLK Interfaith Prayer Service & Walk
Saturday, April 2 at 10 a.m. | St. Peter's Catholic Church: 190 Adams Avenue (Memphis)

MLK Interfaith Prayer Service & Walk is an interfaith event where all people of Memphis are invited to come together for a morning of hope to honor Martin Luther King, Sr. as we approach the anniversary of his martyrdom. 

Please click here to register for this free event: https://tinyurl.com/MLKPrayerWalk

Support the mission of Operation Broken Silence

Operation Broken Silence is a Memphis-based nonprofit that that is building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs, including the construction of a community well in Hage Al-Full, an isolated region of the war-torn Nuba Mountains that has no clean water source. 

The well will bring clean water to roughly 7,000 people and is being done in partnership with a small house church in the area. 

$32,500 has already been raised for this project, but $25,500 is still needed. To make a gift, please go to  
https://fundraise.operationbrokensilence.org/give/154288/#!/donation/checkout

Checks can also be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900, Memphis TN, 38177-0900. You may contact Mark Hackett at mchackett@operationbrokensilence.org.

To learn more about Operation Broken Silence, you can listen to the Faithfully Memphis episode featuring Bishop Phoebe in conversation with OBS Founder and Executive Director Mark Hackett here: https://tinyurl.com/FMMarkHackett

Calendar
For more events taking place in our Diocese, please go to EDWTN.org/events. 

Premiere of "From Cathedral to City Hall" 
Sunday, April 3 | 3 p.m. at St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral: 700 Poplar Ave. (Memphis)

All citizens and members of the faith community are invited to the premiere screening of From Cathedral to City Hall: A Documentary for Justice at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 3 at St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, 700 Poplar Avenue, Memphis. Produced by Voices For Justice in the Mid-South (VFJM), the film highlights the April 7, 2018 commemoration of the Memphis clergy march to Memphis City Hall in 1968 to confront Mayor Henry Loeb on the morning after the assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Bishop Phoebe. Panelists include Rabbi Harry Danziger, Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Israel, who was part of the original march; and Albert Moseley, Senior Vice President and Chief Mission Integration Officer for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare.

The post-screening discussion will be available via livestream. Details forthcoming. 

All-Diocese Acolyte Training
Sunday, March 27 | 4:30 p.m. at St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral: 700 Poplar Ave. (Memphis)

Verger Training at St. Mary's Cathedral
Sunday, April 3 | 1 - 2:30 p.m. at SMEC, 700 Poplar Ave. (Memphis)

Now Hiring at St. George's Episcopal Church (Germantown)

Coordinator of Children's/Family/ Youth Ministry. St. George’s seeks a full-time Coordinator of Children’s/Family/Youth Ministry. The ideal candidate is one who seeks to build and foster meaningful relationships with our families, children, and youth. The coordinator, in consultation with the Rector, plan and develop programming throughout the year that helps shape spiritual formation and growth, within our Episcopal identity. A Bachelor’s degree is required; current graduate students are invited to apply, if studies permit full-time employment. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are expected, and proficiency in Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) is required. Please send cover letter and resume to Mrs. Tracy V. Patterson, Senior Warden, St. George’s Episcopal Church, tvpatterson62@yahoo.com.

Tenor Section Leader. The Coventry Choir of St. George's Episcopal Church, Germantown, is seeking a paid tenor section leader. The leader will be comfortable singing in both solo and ensemble capacities. Required commitments include a weekly Sunday morning worship service at 10:30am and a weekly Wednesday evening rehearsal 7-9pm, as well as occasional additional services (e.g. Evensong, Holy Week, Christmas, etc.). Previous church choir experience is preferred, though not mandatory. Interested musicians should contact music director Lucas Fletcher at lucas@stgeorgesgermantown.org to arrange an audition.

Summer Internship with the Sisters of St. Mary

The Sisters of St. Mary, the oldest Episcopal women's religious Benedictine community in America, have a summer internship that invites current college students to live alongside the Sisters to learn the ancient monastic Benedictine rhythm of prayer, work, study, and rest. The interns engage in care for creation by working in the Sisters' organic garden and learning about sustainable agricultural practices and the relationship between nature and spirituality. The convent is located in Sewanee, TN. Dates of the internship are May 31st to August 14th. For more information and to apply online, check out their website https://www.communityofstmarysouth.org/opp

Becoming Beloved Community eNewsletter 

Did you know that the The Episcopal Church's Office of Racial Reconciliation has an e-newsletter? The Becoming Beloved Community newsletter includes news, inspiration, tools, resources, and events dedicated to this important area of ministry. 

To read the latest newsletter, go to https://tinyurl.com/BBCSpring2022. To subscribe, go to https://tinyurl.com/BBCSubscribe.

UPDATE: Outreach for Ukraine

Monetary Relief. Episcopal Relief & Development is partnering with Anglican agencies and other ecumenical partners to provide humanitarian aid in response to the refugee crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. Partner with Episcopal Relief & Development by donating to the International Disaster Response Fund. Your support will help meet critical needs for people fleeing the violence including food, cash, blankets and hygiene supplies. Help today  | Read more about the response

Prayer. The Book of Common Prayer is full of occasional prayers, including a Prayer for Times of Conflict (page 823). The Bishop and Canon to the Ordinary encourage all in our faith communities to explore these prayers, which begin on page 814. The Book of Common Prayer is also available online: https://www.bcponline.org/

EDWTN Job Openings

Accounting Assistant. The Diocese of West Tennessee seeks to appoint an Accounting Assistant. To view the job description and application instructions, please go to https://tinyurl.com/EDWTNAccounting2022

Small Church Consultant. The Diocese of West Tennessee seeks to appoint a Mission Congregation Consultant to assess the resources and needs at each of the small congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee. To view the job description and application instructions, please go. to https://tinyurl.com/SmallChurchConsultant.

Join the EDWTN fellowship group on Facebook! 

Did you know there is a Facebook group where you can connect directly with fellow Episcopalians right here in West Tennessee? The Diocese of West Tennessee Facebook Fellowship Group welcomes you! 

Click here to join: https://tinyurl.com/EDWTNFB.

If you are interested in being an Admin for the group, please contact Emily Austin: eaustin@episwtn.org