An update on legal matters involving our diocese

From the Bishop:
 
Dear People of The Episcopal Church in South Carolina,
 
As I write this, Hurricane Irma is bearing down upon us and we are not yet certain of the exact track it will take. Know that all of you are in my prayer for your safekeeping even as we hold others affected close to our hearts. If you are traveling, know that God is with you and that you will be given the grace to meet whatever it is that lies ahead.
 
In the midst of hurricane winds, there are also the metaphorical winds from the implications of the decisions of the State Supreme Court regarding our church property.  I want to assure you that we are paying close attention to what is needed. The leadership of our Diocese, involving many people, will be included in all the needed upcoming decisions. One of our goals all along has been transparency and we will continue on that track and get information to you as soon as we are able.
 
Accompanying this note to you is what we know at this time. If you have questions please direct them to my office.  As I have said to you before, speculation and conjecture are not helpful and only tends to raise anxiety in the system.  The best thing we can do in the midst of patient waiting, is continue to be God’s ambassadors of the Good News of Jesus as we love each other into what God is calling us to be.
 
Grace and peace to all of you as I remain grateful for being your bishop in this time.
 
Bishop Skip
 
The Rt. Rev. Gladstone B. Adams III
Bishop Provisional, South Carolina 


Update: September 8, 2017
  
On September 4, we shared information about several developments in the state and federal litigation that involves our diocese, The Episcopal Church, and a breakaway group. While our prayers and attention are rightly focused now on the approach of Hurricane Irma, we also wish to share an update on the status of legal matters in order to clarify where things now stand.
 
Motions before the state Supreme Court
 
Three motions were filed on September 1 by the breakaway group, seeking to have the South Carolina Supreme Court revisit its August 2 decision, or reverse it. On September 7, the Supreme Court asked us to file a response to the motions within 10 days. There is no timeframe specified by law for when the court may rule on these motions. Patient and prayerful waiting is our role at this time.
 
Mediation                 
 
In late August, during a status conference in U.S. District Court, Judge Richard Gergel suggested mediation in the federal case, vonRosenberg v. Lawrence. At the same time, even though the state case is outside his jurisdiction, Judge Gergel suggested that the parties might consider mediation in the state case as well.
 
Mediation is best understood as a conversation, with a mediator directing and facilitating. In this case, the mediator is Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr. of Columbia. The only way mediation results in any action is if all parties agree to it in writing. It does not stop the clock on the ongoing litigation, or affect the state Supreme Court decision in any way. The aim is not to alter that decision, but to seek an agreement about how best to implement it.
 
Until now, the idea of mediation has been consistently rejected by the breakaway group. As a diocese, our goal has always been healing and reconciliation, so when a doorway to conversation opened, Bishop Adams and our legal team agreed that it was important to take it.
 
As has always been the case, decisions involving church property require approval from the Bishop and Standing Committee, in consultation with diocesan leaders and with leadership of congregations who might be affected. Standing Committee President the Rev. M. Dow Sanderson has been briefed this week along with the Bishop, and the full Standing Committee will hear more at its scheduled meeting next week.
 
Communication
 
Our goal as a diocese is always transparency. Legal matters are one area where, for obvious reasons, no one can lay all their cards on the table, and so we must trust the people of the diocese to understand when we are not able to comment. Our aim is to be candid, forthright and accurate in all our communications. At times, this may take more time than we, or you, may wish.
 
Regrettably, some may have felt out of the loop over the recent holiday weekend, as the bishop and staff were all traveling, and the update on the legal situation could not be shared until Labor Day afternoon. As a result, we will be looking at how we can be more responsive in the future.
 
It is disappointing that some media have engaged in speculation about the legal situation while waiting for the facts to be shared. One way to respond to rumors or uninformed speculation is to contact the Bishop’s office by phone or email with your questions. Within our limitations as a part-time staff, we will respond as quickly as we are able.
 
There is much to be hopeful about in these developments. As we hold everyone in Irma’s path in our prayers, please also continue to pray for one another, and for all those who are affected by the division in our diocese.