CLERGY & STAFF

Clergy and Staff of the Diocese

Bishop-elect

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The Rev. Canon Ruth Woodliff-Stanley

The Rev. Canon Ruth Woodliff-Stanley was elected the XV Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina on May 1, 2021. Her consecration and ordination will be held on Saturday, October 2, at Grace Church Cathedral in Charleston.

Visit the Bishop-elect's page here.

Executive Assistant to the Bishop and
Diocesan Administrator

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Lauren Kinard
843-259-2016
lkinard@episcopalchurchsc.org
Lauren serves three-quarters time on the Bishop's staff and is responsible for managing the bishop's calendar and travel, and works with staff to plan and execute diocesan meetings and gatherings including Clergy Conference and Annual Diocesan Convention. She is responsible for Safeguarding Training, maintaining clergy records, clergy licensing and lay licensing. She is the staff liaison to the Diocesan Council, Commission on Ministry, and Standing Committee, and was elected to serve as the Secretary of the Trustees for 2019. As Diocesan Administrator, she is our point person with the Church Pension Group on all pension matters, property insurance, employee benefits and records,  as well as records/reports compliance with The Episcopal Church and CPG.

Contact Lauren about: Scheduling a meeting with the Bishop, Safeguarding training, clergy records, clergy and lay licensing, Bishop's visitations and the Diocesan Prayer Calendar, diocesan meetings and gatherings, donor support, and reports of Diocesan Council or the Journal of the Annual Convention. She is your contact for employee benefits (life insurance, medical and dental plans), clergy and lay pension, church property insurance matters, and reports to CPG and The Episcopal Church.
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A 2001 graduate of the University of Florida with degrees in Management, Marketing, Economics and French, Lauren joined the diocesan staff in January 2013. In 2018, Lauren was asked to serve on the Client Council of the Church Pension Fund, a group of bishops, administrators, clergy, and lay leaders who work with CPG and share feedback on current programs, and development of future programs.   She is also active with the group of Diocesan Administrators across the country as well as a member of B+E+S+T, Bishops’ Executive Secretaries Together.  At the past two General Conventions she served as Acting Recorder in the Secretariat of the House of Bishops. Lauren's experience also includes a decade of work  in consulting, staffing, sales and non-profit work and 4 great years as a stay at home mom.  She and her husband Richard have two children.

Diocesan Ministry Developer

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Andrea McKellar 
843-259-2016 office, 843-412-2411 mobile
amckellar@episcopalchurchsc.org
​Andrea's responsibilities include Transition Ministry (working with individuals and congregations through times of discernment and calling), Leadership Development, Christian Formation, and Youth Ministry. She also continues to assist in administrative and communication duties in coordination with the rest of the staff.

Contact Andrea about: Transition Ministry, Youth, Christian Formation, and other Diocesan information.

Andrea joined the staff as part-time administrative assistant in January 2014. She currently serves on the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church and on the board of Forma, a grassroots Christian formation organization. She worships at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Charleston. Andrea and her husband Mark live in West Ashley with their two children.

Director of Communications

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Molly Hamilton
843-259-2016 (office)
843-327-6479 (mobile)
mhamilton@episcopalchurchsc.org
Molly Hamilton oversees communications within the Diocese and to the wider community as a member of the Bishop's staff, working on a part-time basis.

Contact Molly about: The diocesan website, episcopalchurchsc.org, email newsletter, Facebook and other social media. She wants to hear from you when you have photos and stories to share! She is also available to consult with individual churches on websites, email newsletters, social media, news releases and other communication questions.

A 1997 graduate of the College of Charleston with degrees in corporate communications and business administration, Molly also earned a master's in mass communication from the University of South Carolina. She has worked collectively for more than a decade in public relations, corporate communications, marketing, public affairs, digital communications, and media relations; and she took off about 10 years in between to work full time as a stay-at-home mom. 

Molly and her husband, Trey, have two sons and live in James Island. They are members of Grace Church Cathedral. 
Follow this link to find an updated list of Clergy in Good Standing in The Diocese of South Carolina.
Follow this link for a list of churches currently seeking their next priest.
Read news about our clergy on our news blog.

Appointed to serve 

Chaplains to the Retired 

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The Reverend Jennie Olbrych (left) and the Reverend M. Dow Sanderson (right) were appointed by the Bishop in June 2019 as Chaplains to the Retired. The chaplaincy works to provide inclusion, enrichment and pastoral support for retired clergy, their spouses and partners, and survivors. Read more here.

Ecumenical and Interfaith Officer ​and Liturgical Officer

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The Very Reverend J. Michael A. Wright, Rector and Dean of Grace Church Cathedral, is Diocesan Ecumenical and Interfaith Officer for The Diocese of South Carolina. He is also Liturgical Officer and chairs the Diocesan Liturgical Commission.

As Ecumenical and Interfaith Officer, Dean Wright followed the Reverend Dow Sanderson, Rector of the Church of the Holy Communion in Charleston, in the important work of building and sustaining relationships with other faith communities.

Diocesan Disaster Coordinator

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The Reverend Fred Thompson serves as Diocesan Disaster Coordinator for The Diocese of South Carolina. Fred, a priest of our diocese, is responsible for coordinating disaster planning and response at the  diocesan level, as well as working with congregations to develop their own disaster plans. Fred also will serve as liaison in times of emergency with relief agencies and with groups such as the Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy and Episcopal Relief and Development.