Curriculum Vitae

The Reverend Canon Joseph B. “Jody” Howard

Pastoral Vision & Philosophy

To proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ within and beyond the Church; to equip the saints through faithful preaching and teaching; to care for God’s people so that we strengthen one another and build up Christ’s body; and to lead by word and example, helping the faithful embrace the depths of our tradition and fanning into flame the gifts God has given.

Ministry Specialties

Congregational Development • Pastoral Care • Christian Formation & Teaching • Transition Ministry • Facilitation & Mediation • Organizational Leadership & Governance

Leadership Profile & Summary of Qualifications

Canon to the Ordinary and senior diocesan leader with a record in clergy transitions, pastoral care, diocesan governance, and institutional strategy, with a sustained commitment to supporting congregational vitality across a variety of contexts.

Executive Diocesan Leadership:

Canon to the Ordinary (2019–present), serving as chief of staff and senior advisor to the bishop, with responsibility for clergy transitions, clergy support, governance coordination, and diocesan operations.
Developed and updated, under the Bishop’s direction, the Diocesan Covid-19 response document, The Wilderness Road, and coordinated regular clergy check-ins during lockdown.
Drafted the Special Rules of Order for the online Annual Convention in 2021, and coordinated the first use of electronic voting for an Annual Convention in the Diocese.

Clergy Transition Leadership:

Transition Ministry (2019-present) guided clergy transitions in 23 of the dioceses’ 42 congregations (54%) of diocesan congregations, including the four largest parishes, working with vestries and search committees in congregations of all sizes. During this time, 26 of the dioceses' congregations have entered transition (62%), and some that had transitioned during this time have re-entered transition again.

Pastoral Leadership:

Offers ongoing pastoral support and counsel to the active and retired priests and deacons of the Diocese of Tennessee, accompanying clergy through congregational, vocational, and family challenges.
Serves as a sounding board for pastoral and leadership decisions, assisting clergy in navigating parish dynamics, conflict, and transitions. Leads regular “Ministry, Leadership, and Mission” gatherings for clergy new to the diocese or in new calls, fostering collegiality, shared learning, and healthy congregational leadership.
Connects clergy with practical supports, e.g. Public Service Loan Forgiveness processes, counseling, and other services, so they can sustain their vocations.
Encourages robust use of continuing education funds and designed a post–Covid-19 mini-sabbatical grant process (approved by Bishop and Council) to offer one-time grants of up to $1,200 for clergy, along with encouraging congregations to offer an additional week of paid leave for clergy and lay staff through the end of 2025.

Strategic Collaboration & Organizational Leadership

Collaboration & Governance: Work closely with the Commission on Ministry, Bishop and Council, Standing Committee, Cathedral Chapter, and other diocesan bodies to advance the mission and ministry of the Diocese.
Financial Leadership & Institutional Renewal: Member of the senior leadership team responsible for drafting the annual diocesan budget (over $2 million) aligning financial resources with diocesan mission and strategic priorities.
Organizational Development: Collaborates with lay and clergy leaders to design and implement diocesan initiatives that strengthen congregational vitality and support clergy in their ministries.

Conflict Resolution & Discipline

Brings grounded experience in church discipline, having served as a clergy member of the diocesan disciplinary board and as chair of a conference panel prior to becoming Canon to the Ordinary.
As Canon, has served as an investigator in a Title IV matter and as a Title IV advisor, while also supporting administrative staff in ensuring canonical compliance across several additional cases, including careful anonymizing and redaction of confidential materials for required public posting.
Assists clergy and vestries in reaching agreed conclusions to ministries when the need is discerned, crafting pathways that honor both the priest’s vocation and the congregation’s well-being.
Regularly facilitates challenging conversations in congregations—between clergy and lay leaders and among parishioners—helping parties name conflict, listen across differences, and move toward workable resolutions.
Exercises this ministry with a focus on protecting the vulnerable, honoring open processes, and seeking, where possible, restorative outcomes for individuals and congregations.

Pastoral Experience

Canon to the Ordinary, Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee, Nashville, TN | February 2019-Present
Priest-in-Charge/Rector, St. Joseph of Arimathea Episcopal Church, Hendersonville, TN | January 2010 - December 2011 (Priest-in-Charge), January 2012-February 2019 (Rector)
Vicar, St. Francis Episcopal Church, Goodlettsville, TN | July 2007 - December 2009
Assistant, Trinity Episcopal Church, Winchester, TN | July 2006 - June 2007
Clinical Pastoral Education at the James H. Quillen VAMC in Mountain Home TN. | 2005: Served as chaplain; led services and provided pastoral care with a focus on long-term and palliative care patients.

Experience Beyond the Parish

Task Force on Pastoral Response to LGBTQ+ Members of the Diocese | January 2017- January 2018
General Convention Deputy | 2015, 2018, 2022, 2024; elected for 2027
Examining Chaplain, The Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee | January 2013 - present
Christ Church Cathedral Chapter, The Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee | January 2010 - January 2015
Bishop and Council Member, The Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee | January 2012 - January 2014, January 2018-2019
Ecumenical Officer, The Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee | January 2009 - January 2013

Education & Professional Development

In Progress (expected completion May 2027): Doctor of Ministry in Christian Leadership, Duke Divinity School. Prospective Thesis: “Stubborn Unity: Commitment to Unity Amid Disagreement, Congregational Vitality, and the Common Good.”
2013: The Gathering of Leaders, Charleston Gathering
2010 & 2011: Cooperative College for Congregational Development
2009: Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations (online course, Church Divinity School of the Pacific) 2006: The University of the South, School of Theology, M.Div, Optime Merens (highest academic distinction)
2003: The University of North Carolina, Asheville. BA in history, minor in religious studies, distinction in history

Grants & awards

2021: Episcopal Church’s Young Adult and Campus Ministry grant program: Co-authored on behalf of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee and St. Anselm’s Church to reestablish campus ministry at the three Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Nashville.
2017: The Louisville Institute Pastoral Study Project Grant: Hearing Scattered Voices: Hearing the Stories of Survivors of Spiritual Abuse. Inspired by the pastoral experience of encountering parishioners from various backgrounds who found a place of healing within the Episcopal Church, this project has continued to guide aspects of my ministry.
Undergraduate awards: University Organization President of the Year Award (2003), and the Phi Alpha Theta Award (2003) for excellent scholarship and extraordinary service to the department of history at the University of North Carolina, Asheville.

Writings & Publications

“Approaches to Church, Community and Age: Discussing the Ideas of Stanley Hauerwas” published in the Spring 2003 issue of Aging & Spirituality the newsletter of the American Society on Aging’s Forum on Religion, Spirituality and Aging. With Dr. Wayne Ewing.
“Reviving the Quadrilateral,” The Living Church, December 13, 2009.
“Emerging Questions,” The Living Church, September 11, 2011. A double book review of Deep Church and Souls in Transition.
“Let’s Do Our Homework,” The Living Church, September 1, 2013. A book review of Perspectives on Ecclesiology and Ethnography.
Selected writings from Covenant, the weblog of The Living Church:
“Speak Yet Again: On Euthanasia, pts. 1 & 2” Covenant, (9/15/15 & 9/16/15)
“Honor, Shame, and the Gospel in the American South, pts 1, 2, & 3” Covenant (3/30/15; 2/8/24; 2/9/24)
“Humility: Democracy’s Necessary Virtue” Covenant (10/18/17)
“The Return of Clandestine Marriage” Covenant (9/9/17)
“Pray for the City” Covenant (12/12/19)

Sample Sermons & Devotions

June 16, 2019, “The Unity of the Trinity” Trinity Sunday, Christ Church Cathedral, Nashville: https://www.thegospelplow.com/p/the-unity-of-the-trinity
October 19, 2025, Trinity Parish, Clarksville: https://www.thegospelplow.com/p/gods-all-over-the-field
Other sermons and devotions (as well as essays) can be found from time to time at the Gospel Plow https://www.thegospelplow.com/s/sermons-and-devotions/

Personal & Faith Formation

Married: In 2006 to Anna Elisabeth Aven. They have two school-age children.
Baptized: On November 4, 2001 at Calvary Episcopal Church, Fletcher North Carolina. Confirmed: In January 2002 by The Rt. Rev. Robert H. Johnson, Bishop of Western North Carolina Ordained: On June 10, 2006 (Diaconate), December 17, 2006 (Priesthood)

References

References available upon request