ByCaleb Maglaya Galaraga, The Living Church’s Episcopal Church reporter.
Episcopalians are paying tribute to the artistry and philanthropy of Dolly Parton, the singer, actress, and songwriter whose rise from poverty to becoming a country music legend and successful entrepreneur draws admiration from a broad swathe of American society.
On Threads, the Rev. Rachel Kessler, rector of Harcourt Parish in Kenyon College, is advocating for Parton’s commemoration in the Episcopal Church calendar on the day of her death, August 25, at the age of 80.
Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver announced her passing on social media.
“Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens,” Seaver said, speaking of Carl Dean — Parton’s husband of 60 years who preceded her in death 17 months ago.
A report by the Associated Press citing the late singer’s publicist, noted that Parton died at a Nashville hospital after a brief battle with cancer.
A Pentecostal preacher’s granddaughter who began singing in the church choir at age 7, Parton’s inclusive comments about the Christian faith and the LGBT community, and how her belief in God had been key to her success while staying grounded, is remembered by Christians across denominations.
Award-winning journalist Retta Blaney, a longtime contributor to The Living Church and author of the book Working on the Inside: The Spiritual Life Through the Eyes of Actors (2003), said that what marked the late singer and actress — Parton also starred in the film 9 to 5 (1980) and performed its famous soundtrack — was “how genuine she was in all parts of her life.”
“When she talked about growing up in a one-room house in Tennessee with her parents and 11 siblings, with no heat or running water, she remembered those as happy days with gratitude because of the love in that home,” Blaney told TLC.
“Love guided every aspect of her life: her love of God, writing and performing music, being with people, shining with her great sense of humor and her philanthropy.”
Asked by a reporter what she wanted her legacy to be, the 10-time Grammy winner who sang and wrote hits like “Jolene” and “Coat of Many Colors” responded: “I want to be remembered as a good person, a person that tried to do good. But I’m very proud of the Imagination Library.”
The nonprofit, founded in 1995, is the flagship initiative of Parton’s The Dollywood Foundation. It has gifted more than 300 million free books to children across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Ireland.
The Very Rev. Troy Preston, rector of Christ Church in Corning, New York, and a dean in the Diocese of Rochester, find both inspiration and a parallel from Parton’s life, because of his own experience growing up in the small town of Addison, New York.
Preston’s father was a factory worker who lost employment and struggled to find work that paid a living wage. “My mother worked three jobs and for me, my way out of poverty was education,” Preston told TLC.
“I connect with Dolly so much because she is in a poverty situation and worked–in her own way–out of poverty and then continued to help others who were in similar situations.”
In 2025, Preston and parishioners of Christ Church were awarded by the United Way of Southern Tier, who facilitates the work of the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in the community, for their volunteerism and support. Around 25 parishioners volunteer in helping the library’s programs, with more extending support financially.
“Dolly’s legacy is not only musical or cultural; it is spiritual. She showed that joy and humility can be strength, and that using one’s gifts for the good of others is a holy calling. Her life encouraged us to show up more honestly, more generously, and more bravely in our own community.”
The children of the Rev. Christian Anderson are among those who have received books from the Imagination Library. Anderson is vicar of St. Mary’s Church in Stuart, Florida, and is also an actor and producer.
“Every night, my children go to bed reading books that Dolly Parton helped ensure would be in their hands,” Anderson told TLC.
“Dolly poured herself into the things that broke her heart: children without access to books, inequities in education and healthcare, and communities trying to rebuild their lives after disaster.”
Parton has made numerous donations to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Her $1 million donation for research into COVID-19 created the Dolly Parton COVID-19 Research Fund and helped support early research connected to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, ABC News reports.
In a social media post, the university described her generosity as contributing to “lifesaving research.”
Amidst her global success as a singer, actor, and songwriter, Parton has stayed true to her roots, making an impact in the State of Tennessee, that according to the business magazine Inc. few Tennesseans had.
Dollywood, a theme park she helped create 40 years ago as co-owner is credited with being Sevier County’s largest employer. A 2021 economic study noted that it has helped generate more than 23,000 jobs and produced $1.8 billion worth of economic activity in the area.
In February 2026, after reportedly receiving a “generational” gift from the artist, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital announced it will rebrand as the Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital.
The Knoxville-based hospital has the busiest emergency department in Knox County and serves about 500,000 patients annually, according to the University of Tennessee’s The Daily Beacon.
The Diocese of East Tennessee, whose headquarters is also in Knoxville, shared a statement from Bishop Brian Cole honoring Parton, whom he described as “one of our greatest regional figures.”
“I celebrate and honor the impact she has had on East Tennessee and the world, whether from her music or her philanthropic endeavors. East Tennessee has benefited over many decades from Mrs. Parton’s generous giving…countless lives have been positively impacted by her life, a living expression of the call to selfless giving which we recognize in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Blaney called Parton’s passing an “immense loss,” and added, “As my mother would have said: She’ll take the express elevator up.”
Anderson offers a lesson, saying that “as we mourn Dolly, perhaps the greatest tribute we can offer is to turn our own broken hearts toward the places of brokenness around us, and then do something about them.”
