East Tennessee Episcopalians celebrated their first 10 years as a diocese at the diocesan convention Feb. 2-4 at St. John's Cathedral, Knoxville.

The Diocese of East Tennessee was formed Jan. 1, 1985, in the second of two divisions that split the former statewide diocese into three dioceses. To help celebrate East Tennessee's first decade, the Rt. Rev. Bertram Herlong, Bishop of Tennessee, and the Rt. Rev. James Coleman, Bishop of West Tennessee, made presentations to the diocese.

A resolution presented to amend the diocesan disciplinary canons to bring them in line with the revised national Title IV canons sparked debate. The resolution established an ecclesiastical trial court and outlined a process for electing persons to serve on that court. Clergy decried the move toward the national canons as being "insurance driven" and expressed fear that the revised canons "left individual presbyters vulnerable."

The convention voted to table the resolution until it could be discussed further. Following a short recess, however, the resolution was removed from the table for reconsideration, and eventually was passed with an amendment.

In other action, the convention gave seat to three youth representatives and granted parish status to St. Raphael's Church, Crossville. A budget of more than $1.3 million was adopted.