Ministries & Outreach

Dear Communicants in The Diocese of West Tennessee,

For several months now, at my request, a small representative group of people from around the Diocese have been working as a Task Force to explore ways in which we as a diocese are working with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) persons who frequent our respective congregations. To this end, we decided to take an objective assessment of what is currently the situation by a series of targeted surveys. Each is intended to gather information about how we, as clergy, family and friends of our LGBT brothers and sisters, are aware of and responding to their pastoral needs. I am also asking this group to gather impressions of how the LGBT community views that response.  The end result is three surveys:

• Pastoral Survey – for clergy and lay staff members: Click here to take survey
• Pastoral Survey – for members of the LGBT community: Click here to take survey
• Pastoral Survey – for family and/or friends of members of the LGBT community: Click here to take survey

All three of these surveys are posted here on the diocesan website and can be completed online.  I am encouraging you, as either a member of the LGBT community, or as a family member or friend, to complete the online survey applicable to you.  The intent is to get a snapshot of what the overall situation is with regard to those in this community who live, worship and work among us each week.

Hard copies of the surveys for members of the LGBT community and for family and/or friends of members of the LGBT community are being mailed to each congregation for those people who may be unable to access them online.  Please encourage those whom you know who may not have online access to pick up a copy there or call the diocesan office at 526-0023 to receive a copy by mail.

The composite of data collected will be shared with the Diocese once compiled.  Hopefully, it will give us some benchmarks by which to assess our ministries to and with this important segment of our communal life.

Thank you for your help in making this data gathering a meaningful endeavor.  If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to call me.  In the interim, I remain

Faithfully yours,

The Rt. Rev. Don E. Johnson
Bishop of West Tennessee

Task Force Members

James Aldinger
The Rev. Andy Andrews
Susan Appling
Andy Cobb
Tricia Dudley
The Rev. John Leach
David Ouzts
Tommie Saxon
David Stearns
Dr. Bruce Steinhauer
Mary Jane Viar
The Rt. Rev. Don E. Johnson, Ex-officio
The Rev. Canon Chip Davis, Ex-officio

Stephanie Cheney, Ex-officio