The Rev. Dr. Tom Day, Missional Interim
Tom was born in Bristol and graduated from Bristol Tennessee High School in 1968. He attended The University of Tennessee with a music scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. He married his wife Kim in 1973 and after one year of graduate work moved to Louisiana to work in the oil industry.
Tom & Kim’s daughter Ashley was born in 1976 and within a year they moved to The United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf where Tom worked for two years. The Days were transferred to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1979 where their two sons Adam and Andrew were born. Four years later Tom and his family moved to Houston, Texas where they became active leaders in a small Episcopal Church.
In 1986 Tom spent seven weeks in Africa on a healing & preaching mission trip to the Gambia. Daily, the blind gained their sight, the deaf began to hear, the lame walked, and hundreds of African villagers accepted Christ. In 1987 Tom and Kim and their three children moved to Sewanee, Tennessee to attend seminary where he received his Master of Divinity degree. Tom was sent to The University of the South as a postulant from the Diocese of Texas.
After graduation in 1990, Tom served as an Assist Rector for two years at a 500 member church in Houston before becoming Rector of a Pastoral size (100 congregants) church for ten years. Tom received a Doctorate of Ministry from Seabury Seminary in 2001. In 2002 Tom became Rector of St. Christopher Episcopal Church in League City, Texas. He served this Program sized church (300 members) until retirement in 2016 when he and Kim moved back to Bristol.
Tom has a passion for mission work and has served on two (2) teams to Africa, one (1) to Trinidad, one (1) to Mexico, and twelve (12) teams within the United States to areas of natural disaster or poverty. He has served as a summer camp director for the past 25 years for students ranging from age 9 through 18. He has also served on various Diocesan and community boards and committees.
Sadly, Tom's last service with us will be held at Stras Memorial on 6/17/18 with a reception to follow.
About the Cluster 
After much consideration and discernment, St. Mary's, Bluefield, VA has decided that it is in their best interest to no longer hold worship services in the church on Tazewell Avenue but instead, join forces with Christ Episcopal Church, Bluefield, WV just a few miles away from the current location. A concluding eucharist service was held at St. Mary's on 5/30/18. We know that Christ Church will welcome you with open arms.
In addition, Christ Church, Pocahontas will be moving away from the cluster configuration and remain a standalone church with mainly Morning Prayer services and occassional Eucharist as requested via available supply clergy.
The Cluster will officially dissolve at the end of June 2018 at which point, Stras Memorial will also stand on its own. The vestry is currently thinking through the best option for the future. Stras will be holding Morning Prayer services twice a month and likely using clergy supply for Eucharist services twice a month until a more long-term solution is decided upon.
We wish each and every one of you all the best and many blessings as we embark upon this new chapter in our spiritual life.
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