A prominent Anglican pastor from Nashville, Tennessee died in a tragic accident with his daughter on Interstate-40 on Monday, August 23.
Christian News Now reported that 50-year-old Church of the Redeemer Founding Pastor Rev. Thomas McKenzie left his home with his 22-year-old daughter Charlie on Monday morning bound for St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico for the start of the new school year. Charlie or Ella for short is starting her senior year. McKenzie actually tweeted about it.
"First day of sabbatical. Driving with my kid to New Mexico. Charlie's senior year at St John's College, Santa Fe campus. Today's goal? Shamrock, Texas," McKenzie announced.
The said tweet was McKenzie's last. It was posted at 8:19AM. WKRN reported the accident happened at 9:50AM at Dickson County's Interstate-40 westbound lane near the mile marker 178.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, their preliminary report confirmed the identity of the deceased as Mckenzie and daughter who were riding a Nissan Versa. The Nissan Versa changed lanes while the driver of a tractor trailer in front was "slowing down due to traffic." The Nissan Versa "rear-ended the tractor trailer" that caused the fatal accident of the McKenzies, who were "wearing their seatbelts."
The driver of the tractor trailer, despite the impact, was reported to be spared from any injury. The accident is said to have involved "multiple cars" that left the Interstate-40 westbound lanes "closed for several hours" while its "eastbound lanes experienced delays due to rubbernecking." The road only reopened for regular operation before 1 p.m. that day.
McKenzie, who is an author of several books such as the Benedictine prayer book "The Work of God: A Prayer Book of the Psalms " and the widely renowned "The Anglican Way: A Guidebook," is survived by his wife Laura and another child, Sophie, who is also in college-world." A Monastery of Christ in the Desert Oblate, McKenzie was ordained in 1998 and served in two Pittsburgh churches and in one San Antonio Church. He moved to Nashville in 1999 where he founded Church of the Redeemer.
The "tragic news" of McKenzie's demise was announced by the Church of the Redeemer on Monday afternoon in a statement signed by a Fr. Kenny, who asked the faithful to pray for McKenzie's wife and remaining child in the face of the shocking and "deeply" sad news.
"It is with deep sadness that I write to inform you that this morning, Thomas and his 22-year-old daughter Ella died in an accident on Interstate 40 west of Nashville. They were driving to Santa Fe, New Mexico where Ella was to continue her studies at St. John's College. Thomas was just beginning his well-deserved sabbatical. Thomas' wife Laura and their daughter Sophie are now home in Nashville," the statement said.
McKenzie's last post on his blog was about his sabbatical, which he said in Twitter, was something he was "excited" about.
"Today is my last day of work before my sabbatical begins. I'm excited about my upcoming travels, but I know I'll miss my community. I feel sadness and some anxiety as I prepare for this morning's Eucharists," he disclosed.
Dated August 9, the blog was entitled "My Upcoming Sabbatical" and features the photo of the Cathedral Church of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The sabbatical details his planned itinerary in England to celebrate as a birthday gift with his wife on September 1 after bringing his daughter Ella to school on August 23.
He then intends to leave his wife in England as he journeys to France to take the pilgrim walk to the tomb of St. James the Great in Camino de Santiago, which is a total of 500 miles. He will then return to the U.S. on October 18 and spend it with his family before he returns to serve in Church on All Saint's Day, October 31.
The church has informed the congregation in a separate statement on Tuesday of "several opportunities" to "connect" and "lament" on August 25 the loss of McKenzie, such as a "simple spoken Eucharist for silence and meditation" followed by the sharing of "stories of Thomas" for those who wish to.
The statement also informed that the bereaved family has invited those who wish to visit the McKenzies to leave flowers and notes around the tree in their front yard.
