Brian Lee Cole (born December 7, 1967) is an American prelate of the Episcopal Church who is the current Bishop of East Tennessee.

Education

Cole was born in Hayti, Missouri, and was educated at

Murray State University Murray State University (MSU) is a public university in Murray, Kentucky. In addition to the main campus in Calloway County in southwestern Kentucky, Murray State operates extended campuses offering upper level and graduate courses in Paducah, ...

, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in 1989. He spent time employed with the Appalachian Ministries Educational Resource Center in

Berea, Kentucky Berea is a home rule-class city in Madison County, Kentucky, in the United States. The town is best known for its art festivals, historic restaurants and buildings, and as the home to Berea College, a private liberal arts college. The population ...

. In 1992, he earned a

Master of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and ...

degree from the

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) is a Baptist theological institute in Louisville, Kentucky. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The seminary was founded in 1859 in Greenville, South Carolina, where it was a ...

. In 2001, he completed studies at Sewanee: The University of the South, where he focused on Anglican church history. He also undertook further studies in art and prayer at the

General Theological Seminary The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating Seminary in the Anglican Commu ...

in 2006 and in

liturgics Liturgics, also called liturgical studies or liturgiology, is the academic discipline dedicated to the study of liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer sp ...

in Asheville, North Carolina, between 2002 and 2005. Sewanee awarded him an honorary

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...

degree in 2019.

Ordained ministry

Cole was ordained priest by

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

Robert Hodges Johnson in 2002 and served as vicar at Church of the Advocate in Asheville, North Carolina. In 2005, he became sub-dean of the

Cathedral of All Souls The Cathedral of All Souls, also referred to as All Souls Cathedral, is an Episcopal cathedral located in Asheville, North Carolina, United States of America. All Souls was built by George Washington Vanderbilt II, the grandson of the famous ...

in Asheville, while in 2012 he accepted the position of rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-largest ...

. Cole was elected Bishop of East Tennessee on June 28, 2017, during the 33rd annual diocesan convention. He was then consecrated on December 2, 2017, at the Church of the Ascension in

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state ...

by the Presiding Bishop Michael Curry."Brian Lee Cole ordained and consecrated as fifth bishop of East Tennessee"
''Episcopal News Service'', December 5, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2020. He was installed at St. John's Cathedral on December 3, 2017. He is an associate of the

Order of the Holy Cross The Order of the Holy Cross is an international Anglican monastic order that follows the Rule of St. Benedict. History The order was founded in 1884 by the Rev. James Huntington, an Episcopal priest, in New York City. The order moved to Maryl ...

References

External links

Diocesan website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, Brian Lee 1967 births Living people American Episcopal priests Episcopal bishops of East Tennessee Murray State University alumni Southern Baptist Theological Seminary alumni People from Hayti, Missouri