The Rt. Rev. John C. Bauerschmidt was consecrated Bishop of Tennessee Jan. 27 at Christ Church in Nashville, a non-denominational building large enough to accommodate the congregation estimated at 2,000.

The Rt. Rev. Clifton Daniel, III, Bishop of East Carolina and vice president of Province 4, was the chief consecrator. Co-consecrators included the Rt. Rev. J. Neil Alexander, Bishop of Atlanta; the Rt. Rev. James B. Brown, retired Bishop of Louisiana; the Rt. Rev. Bertram N. Herlong, retired Bishop of Tennessee; and the Rt. Rev. Henry N. Parsley, Bishop of Alabama.

After graduation from the General Theological Seminary, Bishop Bauerschmidt was ordained in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina. He was a curate for three years at All Saints’ Church, Worcester, Mass., and then served five years as rector of Christ Church, Albemarle, N.C. He was chaplain for four years at Pusey House in Oxford, England, while he studied for his doctorate in Christian ethics. He had been rector of Christ Church, Covington, La., when he was elected bishop last October.

The experience of having lived through Hurricane Katrina profoundly affected him.

“When this horrible disaster struck, our congregation came together like never before and focused on what is really important,” Bishop Bauerschmidt said in a prepared statement. “When you have to find a way to have Mass without electricity, or find shelter for people who have lost their homes, or comfort those who have lost loved ones, it becomes quite obvious that our vital duty as Christians is to help others and that a primary function of the church is to provide a loving, supporting community.”

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