The Rt. Rev. George D. Young III, Bishop of East Tennessee, writes to his diocese:
I am writing today to share with you that I have decided to retire as your bishop. The next chapter of my life will be focused on my family and our life together.
I want you to know that there is no health issue, no crisis — I am simply moving into the next season in my life. I will be 62, with almost 30 years of ordained ministry. Bishops, and other clergy for that matter, are serving shorter tenures these days than in the past, and there is much good about that. At this point I do not have a plan for the future beyond enjoying a period of renewing and re-creating retirement.
Some of you have memories of this process, and know that it will take just shy of two years before another bishop is in place. So, we have much more time and work and ministry together, to which I passionately look forward. The Standing Committee has already begun its work in this process, and they will be communicating clearly with you in the days, weeks and months ahead. We have a remarkably skilled and faithful diocesan staff who will continue to serve us all in our life together. Thank God for each and every one of them! Your next bishop will come to a vital, exciting, organized, healthy, flexible, spirit-filled diocese, and she or he will be a very fortunate person. Hopefully you will elect that person in August 2017, and she or he will be ordained and settled with you on or around January 2018, after which I will end my time with you as your bishop.