The three bishops serving the three Episcopal dioceses in the State of Tennessee issued a rare joint statement encouraging all parish members to support the “Yes on 3” campaign. Amendment 3 would remove slavery “exception language” and would forever prohibit slavery in the Tennessee Constitution.

From the Three Episcopal Bishops of Tennessee – Joint Statement on Amendment 3

We, the Bishops of the three Episcopal dioceses which compromise the state of Tennessee, are all agreed that the effort to pass Amendment 3 in the November 8, 2022, election is an important step in righting a historical wrong. In the Episcopal Church, whenever we baptize new believers or renew our own baptismal vows, we promise to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving [our] neighbor as [ourselves]” and “to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” Every human being. It is our Christian faith that motivates us to support Amendment 3, believing that slavery and involuntary servitude have no place in our state. We invite the members of our Episcopal parish churches across the state to join us in supporting Amendment 3.

Bishop Phoebe Roaf, Bishop of West Tennessee
Bishop John Bauerschmidt, Bishop of Tennessee
Bishop Brian L. Cole, Bishop of East Tennessee

About Vote Yes on 3 Campaign

The Vote Yes on 3 campaign is a nonpartisan group of elected officials, business leaders, faith leaders and community organizations. The group is working to educate Tennesseans about the ballot initiative ahead of the November 8th election.