80th General Convention Blog - The Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina

GC80 Meet the Deputies: The Rev. Dr. Adam Shoemaker

7/7/2022

The 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church will gather in Baltimore, Maryland, July 8-11, 2022. It was originally scheduled for the summer of 2021, but had been postponed due to the pandemic. The Diocese of South Carolina will be represented by deputies who were elected at the 229th Diocesan Convention in November 2019. This series of videos introduces each of the deputies. In this video, we meet the Very Rev. Dr. Adam Shoemaker, who will serve as a clergy deputy at the 80th General Convention.

GC80 Meet the Deputies: Mark Szen

7/5/2022

The 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church will gather in Baltimore, Maryland, July 8-11, 2022. It was originally scheduled for the summer of 2021, but had been postponed due to the pandemic. The Diocese of South Carolina will be represented by deputies who were elected at the 229th Diocesan Convention in November 2019. This series of videos introduces each of the deputies. In this video, we meet Mark Szen, a member of All Saints, Hilton Head Island, who will be attending his second General Convention as a lay deputy.

Meet the Deputies: The Rev. Bill Coyne

7/4/2022

The 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church will gather in Baltimore, Maryland, July 8-11, 2022. It was originally scheduled for the summer of 2021, but had been postponed due to the pandemic. The Diocese of South Carolina will be represented by deputies who were elected at the 229th Diocesan Convention in November 2019. This series of videos introduces each of the deputies. In this video, we meet the Rev. Bill Coyne who has attended seven previous General Conventions as a clergy deputy, but this will be his first time representing our diocese.

Meet the Deputies: Christina Donovan

7/3/2022

As we continue to prepare for the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church starting on July 8, we are sharing a daily video introducing each of the deputies who will represent the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. Today, hear from Christina Donovan, a member of Good Shepherd, Summerville, and a graduate of Voorhees University, who will be attending General Convention for a second time, but the first time as a lay deputy (alternate).

Meet the Deputies: Tom Miller

7/2/2022

The 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church will gather in Baltimore, Maryland, July 8-11, 2022. It was originally scheduled for the summer of 2021, but had been postponed due to the pandemic. The Diocese of South Carolina will be represented by deputies who were elected at the 229th Diocesan Convention in November 2019. This series of videos introduces each of the deputies. In this video, we meet Tom Miller, a member at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Port Royal, who will serve as a lay deputy at the 80th General Convention.

Meet the Deputies: The Rev. Dr. Wilmot Merchant

7/1/2022

The 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church will gather in Baltimore, Maryland, July 8-11, 2022. It was originally scheduled for the summer of 2021, but had been postponed due to the pandemic. The Diocese of South Carolina will be represented by deputies who were elected at the 229th Diocesan Convention in November 2019. This series of videos introduces each of the deputies. In this video, we meet the Rev. Dr. Wilmot Merchant, rector of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, North Myrtle Beach, who will be serving for a third time as a clergy deputy at General Convention.

Meet the Deputies: Deb Harris

6/30/2022

The 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church will gather in Baltimore, Maryland, July 8-11, 2022. It was originally scheduled for the summer of 2021, but had been postponed due to the pandemic. The Diocese of South Carolina will be represented by deputies who were elected at the 229th Diocesan Convention in November 2019. This series of videos introduces each of the deputies. In this video, we meet Deb Harris, a member at Holy Cross Faith Memorial Episcopal Church, Pawleys Island, who will be serving as a lay deputy at her first General Convention.

Meet the Deputies: The Rev. Roy Tripp

6/29/2022

The 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church will gather in Baltimore, Maryland, July 8-11, 2022. It was originally scheduled for the summer of 2021, but had been postponed due to the pandemic. The Diocese of South Carolina will be represented by deputies who were elected at the 229th Diocesan Convention in November 2019. This series of videos introduces each of the deputies. In this video, we meet the Rev. Roy Tripp, who serves as rector at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Port Royal, South Carolina, and is serving as a clergy deputy at General Convention.

Meet the Deputies: Canon Andrea McKellar

6/29/2022

The 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church will gather in Baltimore, Maryland, July 8-11, 2022. It was originally scheduled for the summer of 2021, but had been postponed due to the pandemic. The Diocese of South Carolina will be represented by deputies who were elected at the 229th Diocesan Convention in November 2019. This series of videos introduces each of the deputies. In this video, we meet Canon Andrea McKellar, a member of St. Stephen's, Charleston, and of the bishop's staff, who is serving as a lay deputy and also the chair of the deputation.

Bishops and Deputies Meet for Province IV Synod

5/3/2022

Bishops and deputies from 20 dioceses of The Episcopal Church in the southeastern United States met last week at Camp McDowell in the Diocese of Alabama for the Province IV Synod. The event brought together those preparing for the 80th General Convention that will take place in Baltimore, Maryland this July to hold elections, hear from speakers on current issues, and hear resolutions.

The Rev. Dr. Wilmot T. Merchant, II, Rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, North Myrtle Beach was elected as Province IV Clergy Representative to Executive Council. He will serve for a term of 5 years from 2022-2027. The Executive Council of The Episcopal Church is an elected body representing the whole church. The Executive Council has the duty to carry out programs and policies adopted by General Convention and to oversee the ministry and mission of The Episcopal Church. The Executive Council is comprised of twenty members elected by General Convention (four bishops, four priests or deacons, and twelve lay leaders) and eighteen members elected by Episcopal provinces.

Speakers led plenary session and workshops on topics such as Racial Justice, Church Planting, BI-vocational Ministry, Property Insurance, and Creation Care. Diocesan Ministry Developer and Chair of the Deputation, Andrea McKellar, led a workshop on the Budget of The Episcopal Church that will be presented at General Convention by Program, Budget, and Finance. Resolutions were passed to create an Endowment Fund for Church Planting in The Episcopal Church and create a uniform maternity leave policy that provides equity between lay and clergy employees. A third resolution to increase funding for provinces did not pass.

Our deputation will be meeting next via Zoom on Wednesday, May 11. They plan to meet regularly as they prepare for General Convention. They encourage anyone interested in specific legislation at General Convention to contact the deputation via chair Andrea McKellar at amckellar@episcopalchurchsc.org.

The Diocese of South Carolina will be represented by the Right Reverend Ruth Woodliff-Stanley and the previously elected deputies in the lay and clergy orders.

Lay Order:

Andrea McKellar, St. Stephens, Charleston, Chair
Mark Szen, All Saints, Hilton Head
Thomas Miller, St. Marks, Port Royal
Deb Harris, Holy Cross Faith Memorial
Christina Donovan -1st Alternate, Good Shepherd, Summerville

Clergy Order:

The Very Rev. Dr. Adam Shoemaker, St. Stephens, Charleston
The Rev. Dr. Canon Wilmot Merchant II, St. Stephens, North Myrtle Beach
The Rev. Roy Tripp, St. Marks, Port Royal
The Rev. Bill Coyne, St. Stephens, Charleston
The Very Rev. Wil Keith – 1st alternate, Holy Cross Faith Memorial, Pawleys Island