At the 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church which finished its business on July 13, 2018, both the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies overwhelming passed Resolution BO12, Marriage Rites for the Whole Church.
On January 18, 2019, Bishop Bauerschmidt wrote this letter and released these guidelines for the implementation of Resolution B012 in the Diocese of Tennessee. In short, the Trial Use rites are now available to every priest in the Diocese of Tennessee. Parishes may use the rites in their spaces, though the bishop seeks assurance that the congregation supports their use, but the rites may not be used in the spaces used by missions or chaplaincies.
For now, we are waiting to see how the implementation goes in this Diocese, and we pray that the General Convention in 2021 will take the next step so that the Trial Use Rites may be used in all sacred spaces in all dioceses.
All Sacraments for All People 