Dates Announced in State Court

A hearing on the implementation of the state Supreme Court’s ruling on church property matters will be held sometime in late October, according to a notification received today from Circuit Court Judge Edgar W. Dickson.

Chancellor Thomas S. Tisdale Jr. of The Episcopal Church in South Carolina said attorneys have been notified that Judge Dickson plans to hear all motions and petitions before him during the weeks of October 22 and 29. Specific dates have not yet been assigned.

The state Supreme Court decided in August 2017 to return diocesan and parish property to The Episcopal Church and its local diocese, The Episcopal Church in South Carolina, (TECSC), and later remitted the case to the 1st Judicial Circuit to be implemented. The Episcopal Church and TECSC, as well as the breakaway group that left The Episcopal Church in 2012 and initiated the lawsuit, have filed documents with the court describing how they would like Judge Dickson to proceed.

Chancellor Tisdale said the court asked for briefings by counsel for the parties to be filed by September 24, with responses filed by October 5 and replies to the responses by October 12.