![]() The Rev. Paul Gilbert has announced he will retire from active ministry and conclude his service as priest-in-charge of The Episcopal Church on Edisto effective June 2. Fr. Gilbert has served at Edisto since August 2015 and has been active in ordained ministry for more than 40 years. Previously he served in our diocese as director of the Little School at Grace Church Cathedral and as a priest associate at Grace. The Episcopal Church in South Carolina is inviting church leaders from several communities in our diocese to attend a gathering in Summerville on Saturday, March 2 as part of the planning for the return of 29 area churches to The Episcopal Church.
The meeting is designed specifically for "parallel leaders" those who serve congregations in areas where there are churches affected by an August 2017 state Supreme Court decision. The Episcopal congregations being invited to send parallel leaders to the meeting include Good Shepherd, Summerville; Messiah, Myrtle Beach; St. Francis, Charlestton; St. Catherine's, Florence; The Episcopal Church on Edisto; The East Cooper Episcopal Church in Mount Pleasant; and the Cheraw Episcopal Worship Group. "These congregations are presently actively engaged in God's mission in communities where a congregation – people, property, and purpose – will be returning to TECSC," says the Rev. Bill Coyne, Missioner for Returning Congregations for the Diocese. "This is an opportunity to share best practices, concerns, hopes and dreams, and next steps," Fr. Coyne says. The goal of the diocese is for there to be no interruption in worship when the returning churches come back, Fr. Coyne says. Beginning on the very first Sunday, the doors will be open with an Episcopal priest leading worship. At the Parallel Leaders' Meeting, each congregation will be asked to tell its story and share its journey of faithfulness since the split in the diocese occurred in 2012-13. Leaders also will talk about their plans for engaging with returning Episcopalians. The meeting will take place at Church of the Good Shepherd, 119-B West Luke Ave., Summerville from 9:30 am-12:30 pm. To learn more about the meeting and register to participate, please contact Fr. Coyne at [email protected] or 843-614-0679. Join with other diocesan leaders on Thursday February 28, 2019 at Middleton Place, 4300 Ashley River Road, Charleston. Registration and coffee will begin at 9:30 am. The program will begin with the showing of the film at 10:00 am followed by discussion with a panel including various persons featured in the film Beyond the Fields, a powerful one-hour documentary produced in late 2017, which debuted on PBS, depicting the story of slavery and the story of America and its 21st century impact. The film raises important questions for our own day as well as our future.
Tracey Todd, CEO of Middleton Place, and executive producer of the 60-minute documentary that debuted in late 2017, notes, "It was time to take the interpretation of the slave experience and bring it to a new medium, with new insights from present-day historians, researchers, preservationists and historic site interpreters, along with descendants of the Middleton family and of African Americans with roots at Middleton Place. They provide a much needed and fresh perspective on what life was like here when slaves built and sustained Middleton Place, Charleston, and, for that matter, the economy of the entire region.” Speakers and facilitators include, among others, The Reverend Dr Kylon Middleton, Pastor of Mt Zion AME Church in Charleston and Project Leader of the Charleston Illumination Project and Co-Founder of the Clementa Pinckney Foundation, as well as a number of persons featured in the film. The day will include time for personal retreat and reflection and the opportunity to walk the grounds at Middleton Place, concluding at 4:00 pm. Registration is $25 per person and includes lunch. Registration is now open here. Download a flyer to share with your congregation. The Episcopal Church and The Episcopal Church in South Carolina (TECSC) on Friday, January 11 filed briefs with United States District Judge Richard Gergel, responding to the motions filed by the Lawrence Diocese and its Parishes.
Each brief, or “Memorandum of Law,” supports a different aspect of the matters before the court: Joint Opposition to Parish Motions, Joint Opposition to Expert Exclusion Motions, Joint Opposition to Genericness Motion, TEC Opposition to Lawrence Diocese Motion, and TECSC Opposition to Lawrence Diocese Motion. 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. ![]() The Rev. Dr. John DeWitt Stonesifer has been called as the Interim Rector at All Saints, Hilton Head Island. He will begin his work with All Saints in February. While a priest for over three decades, John has focused on serving as a professional interim priest for the last 18 years, working with over 20 parishes in Maryland, Kentucky, Delaware, New York, West Virginia, Illinois and New Jersey. John graduated from Clemson University, and from there went on to study at Virginia Theological Seminary in 1984. Upon graduation he served in parish ministry for six years; and then for nine years for two Episcopal Schools as chaplain, assistant to the head of schools, and leader of religious curriculum – earning his M.B.A. during that time. Now his emphasis is on interim ministry and clergy coaching. John and his wife of 34 years, Susan, recently took up residence in New Castle, Delaware. They have two grown children. In his free time, John enjoys playing music in a band (he’s a drummer) and taking part in the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). We look forward to welcoming him to The Episcopal Church in South Carolina. A knitting group that meets at historic Calvary Episcopal Church in Charleston is celebrating the achievements of its members and the fellowship that their weekly meetings have fostered. The group gathered in December for an informal Christmas party and to view an array of handcrafts that their members entered for judging at the recent Coastal Carolina Fair.
Led by Pat Williams, a knitting expert who offers instruction to the group, Calvary members earned 22 ribbons at the annual fair. The knitters also are taking on new projects to benefit others. Calvary's Priest-in-Charge, the Rev. Matt McCormick, has connected the knitters with the Medical University of South Carolina to create special blankets used for the burial of infants. The group meets every Tuesday afternoon at 2 pm at Calvary, and is always looking for new students and members. They recently welcomed a new member from nearby St. Mark's Episcopal. For information contact group member Andrea Lawrence at [email protected]. |
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