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The Episcopal Church in South Carolina (TECSC) will host three public open conversations held in Conway, Charleston and Bluffton between July 16-18 at 6 - 7:30 p.m.
TECSC is offering the open conversations to provide information and answer questions for people whose churches are affected by recent court decisions giving control of the property of the Diocese of South Carolina and 28 parishes to The Episcopal Church and its recognized diocese, The Episcopal Church in South Carolina. “We understand this is a time of great concern and confusion for people who care deeply about their faith communities,” said the Right Rev. Gladstone B. Adams III, Bishop of TECSC. “We want to listen well and respond to their questions in order to offer a clear picture of how people can remain in their churches as part of The Episcopal Church.” The open conversations will take place across lower South Carolina from 6 - 7:30 p.m. at the following locations and dates.
The Rev. William Coyne, TECSC’s Missioner for Returning Congregations, said people who attend will have an opportunity to speak with him, Bishop Adams, and other clergy and lay leaders from the surrounding communities. "Bring your questions, concerns and an open heart,” he said. “We wish to listen and provide a roadmap for reconciliation.” "This is the fullness of time to begin a journey with The Episcopal Church, both back and forward,” Fr. Coyne said. “Back to a relationship with The Episcopal Church that was there when your parish was consecrated, and forward to a new day of engaging God’s mission.” Meetings with the community will be crucial on the path to reconciliation for churches that have been separated from The Episcopal Church for about 5 years. Information regarding the meetings is posted on the TECSC web page. For more information, view A Historical Timeline of the Episcopal Church in South Carolina and the Frequently Asked Questions. About The Episcopal Church in South Carolina The Episcopal Church in South Carolina (TECSC) is the local diocese in the eastern half of South Carolina part of The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. For the latest on TECSC, visit episcopalchurchsc.org or like us on Facebook.
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 The Rev. Jeffrey Richardson Bishop Skip Adams and the wardens and vestry of Holy Communion, Charleston have named the Rev. Jeff Richardson as the new Priest in Charge. He and his wife Patty will be at Holy Communion beginning Sunday, August 12.
Fr. Richardson has been serving as Vicar of three churches in recent years: St. Catherine's, Florence; St. Alban's, Kingstree; and St. Stephen's, St. Stephen. Leaders of those congregations are working with the Bishop through this transition to continue and strengthen their ongoing ministries. A graduate of Nashotah House Theological Seminary, Fr. Richardson is President of the Standing Committee.  Becca Stevens, founder of Thistle Farms, will speak at our Diocesan Convention in November. Becca Stevens, an Episcopal priest, social entrepreneur, speaker and author, will be the keynote speaker at the 228th Diocesan Convention of The Episcopal Church in South Carolina November 16-17 in Charleston.
“We are honored that Becca will be with us for our annual convention, bringing a message of healing and reconciliation that she is able to share from her unique perspective,” Bishop Skip Adams said. Becca is founder and president of Thistle Farms, a global community of survivors of trafficking and addiction that includes justice enterprises. For her work as an entrepreneur and justice advocate, Becca has been named a White House Champion of Change, a CNN Hero, and holds numerous honorary doctorates. She has been featured on The Today Show, ABC World News, NPR and in the New York Times. Her most recent book, Love Heals, was published by Harper Collins. Visit beccastevens.org and thistlefarms.org to learn more. The 228th Diocesan Convention is a two-day gathering at Church of the Holy Communion, Charleston is the annual business meeting and “family reunion” of Episcopalians in eastern South Carolina. Information on how to attend will be shared in August when the official “Call to Convention” is issued. Many Episcopalians are looking forward to vacationing in Europe this summer. Did you know that there are many Episcopal churches in Europe, and they would love to welcome you?
The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe and their Bishop-in-Charge, the Rt. Rev. Pierre Whalon, extends a warm welcome to come and worship on Sundays with your fellow Episcopalians in
There are also several mission congregations that offer services. The Convocation website has information about all these churches, including a locator map. Visit the site to find your Episcopal home-away-from-home this summer. A note about Paris: Episcopal services are held at the American Cathedral on Avenue George V (not to be confused with the American Church). The Church Pension Group will visit our diocese September 13-14 to offer their Planning for Wellness conference at the North Charleston Marriott. This conference is for any active clergy person who is participating in the CPG Clergy Pension Plan and is not yet receiving a pension. Spouses and partners are invited to attend.
The cost is $75 per clergy person or $100 for a couple, and includes an overnight stay, meals, reception and program. The commuter cost is $25 ($50 for a couple) and includes meals, reception and program. Participants will learn about:
Join colleagues from across our diocese for this powerful, transformative learning experience. Click here to find details and get registered. Online registration closes on August 13, and space is limited, so please sign up early! I recently watched again the inspirational Ron Howard movie “Apollo 13” – the story of a crippled spacecraft with astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert finding a way to survive a malfunction and return to earth. Mission Control in Houston is working just as hard to bring them home. The mission changed from landing on the moon to getting the astronauts safely home. The malfunction demanded innovation, creativity and teamwork to accomplish the new mission. There was a sense of urgency.
Remember this scene? Several technicians in Houston dump boxes containing the same equipment and tools that the astronauts have with them in space onto a table. A technician says “We've got to find a way to make this [square CSM LiOH canister] fit into the hole for this [round LEM canister]... using nothing but that” [pointing to the stuff on the table]. The Church needs to realize the mission demands a similar response to a new environment – we need innovation, creativity and teamwork for reaching new people and forming new disciples for Jesus. We need to take risks, make mistakes and ‘double down’ on our core mission. At the end of the movie Jim Lovell (the voice of Tom Hanks) narrates the following: Our mission was called "a successful failure," in that we returned safely but never made it to the moon. The Church needs similar ‘successful’ or ‘excellent’ failures – we try some new things to enlarge the Kingdom, plant new seeds of faith and hope in a malfunctioning world – and trust the results will bring us all… ALL – Home. This is the type of work we will do to welcome people, parishes and property returning to the Mission of The Episcopal Church. The Rev. William Coyne Missioner for Returning Congregations [email protected] | 843-614-0679  The Rev. William Coyne Bishop Skip Adams has appointed the Rev. William Coyne as the new Missioner for Returning Congregations for The Episcopal Church in South Carolina, a new diocesan staff position created to assist parishes and missions that are returning to The Episcopal Church.
“This new ministry is a way for our diocese to manifest good care of God’s people, live out our Diocesan Vision, and always seek the goals of reconciliation and unity in Christ during this important time of transition,” Bishop Adams said. As Missioner, Fr. Coyne will report directly to the Bishop, while developing teams and support systems around the diocese for the successful return of churches to The Episcopal Church in South Carolina (TECSC), which is the diocese of The Episcopal Church in eastern South Carolina. “Bill Coyne brings great gifts to this position, both in his education and abilities and in his many years of experience at the parish and diocesan levels,” the Bishop said. “His passion for congregational vitality and service to God’s people will be a great blessing to everyone who will be working with him in the months ahead.” “What does a 21st-century mission-focused congregation look like in the Episcopal Church in South Carolina?” Fr. Coyne said. “That is my priority question as we begin this transition time together.” Read ‘A Word from the New Missioner’ here At least 28 parishes in the region are returning to TECSC under a South Carolina Supreme Court ruling in August 2017 in a lawsuit filed by a breakaway group. Prior to 2012, all the parishes were operating as Episcopal churches in the then-unified Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. The transition moved into a new phase on Monday, when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the decision. The 1st Circuit Court of Common Pleas is now responsible for implementing the final ruling, a process which may take several months. Fr. Coyne will be the chief diocesan contact person for every returning parish and mission, meeting with their leaders and identifying what is needed for an orderly return to TECSC. He also will help them with assessing their clergy and staff needs, determining their financial position, and setting up their governance and bylaws in accordance with church law. One initial goal is for every congregation to be able to continue to worship on Sunday mornings without interruption through the transition period. Fr. Coyne has served in TECSC since August 2015, when he was called as Interim Rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Charleston. He led that parish for two years through their successful call of a new rector last summer. In August 2017 he was named priest-in-charge of The East Cooper Episcopal Church, and will continue in that role alongside his new responsibilities. Before coming to Charleston, he served for 15 years as Archdeacon of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, where he was responsible for congregational development for 65 congregations. After retiring from that ministry in 2013, Fr. Coyne served in two interim positions in Western Massachusetts before he and his wife Janet moved to Charleston. The Coynes have three grown children and five grandchildren. Fr. Coyne can be reached at [email protected] or 843-614-0679. Bishop Skip Adams and about 75 leaders of The Episcopal Church in South Carolina gathered on Tuesday for a time of prayer, gratitude, questions, and hope for a future of healing and reconciliation on the day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the South Carolina Supreme Court decision on church properties is final.
The Bishop called Tuesday’s meeting of lay and ordained leaders including the Standing Committee, Diocesan Council, Diocesan Trustees, regional deans, and clergy and wardens representing the 31 congregations of TECSC. More than 60 attended the meeting at Grace Church Cathedral, while another dozen attended via teleconference. Beginning with hymns and prayers, the assembled group prayed for the whole Church, for our diocese, and for Mark Lawrence and all the parishes and people who are part of the group that disassociated from The Episcopal Church. Later, during a discussion in the parish hall, the Bishop reminded everyone to pray daily for leaders of all the churches, by name. “This whole process must continue to be bathed in prayer – yours, mine, ours as a community, and always asking the question, what is God requiring of me and how is the Holy Spirit showing up.” The Bishop expressed deep gratitude to all who have worked and persevered with TECSC over the past 5-1/2 years. Present in the room were dozens of people who helped to reorganize the diocese after the split, including Bishop Charles G. vonRosenberg, who served as Provisional Bishop of TECSC from 2013-2016. Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision means that church property case is now over, both the Bishop and Chancellor Thomas S. Tisdale Jr. told the group. Suggestions that the legal decision can be reopened are disappointing to hear, the Bishop said, but “not based in reality.” The next step is to work with the state court on the implementation of the decision. TECSC and The Episcopal Church have petitioned the 1st Circuit Court of Common Pleas to carry out the decision and appoint a Special Master to oversee the process. Bishop Adams also said he is grateful for the outpouring of phone calls and messages of support he has received from Episcopalians and Anglicans around the world, conveying ongoing prayers and good wishes. Other phone calls have come from people in the disassociated group who want to begin talking in earnest about a path forward toward reconciliation, he said. “I have gotten lots of contacts since yesterday from people who have said, ‘Enough already, let’s figure this out so we can all move on together,’” the Bishop said, drawing applause from the gathered leaders. The Diocesan Office is continuing to point people to the Frequently Asked Questions document (FAQ) for guidance on what happens now. Plans are being made for a series of “public forum” meetings in different parts of the diocese, where interested people can come and ask questions directly of Bishop Adams about the future of the parishes affected by the court decision. CHARLESTON, S.C. (JUNE 11, 2018) -- The United States Supreme Court today denied a petition from a breakaway group, letting stand the decision of the South Carolina Supreme Court to return control of the Diocese of South Carolina and 28 church properties to The Episcopal Church and its recognized diocese, The Episcopal Church in South Carolina (TECSC).
The high court denied certiorari to the group that announced in 2012 they were leaving The Episcopal Church. The breakaway group filed a lawsuit in 2013 seeking to control diocesan and parish properties, and a Dorchester County court found in their favor in 2015. The state Supreme Court overturned that decision in August 2017. “We are grateful for the clarity that this decision offers, and hopeful that it brings all of us closer to having real conversations on how we can bring healing and reconciliation to the Church, the Body of Christ, in this part of South Carolina,” said the Right Rev. Gladstone B. Adams III, Bishop of TECSC. “Our path continues to be one of reconciliation and love, for love is the way of Jesus,” Bishop Adams said. Today’s decision does not cause an immediate change in the physical control of the properties, according to Thomas S. Tisdale Jr., Chancellor of TECSC. It is now up to the state’s 1st Circuit Court of Common Pleas to execute the lower court’s decision. TECSC and The Episcopal Church on May 8 asked the state court to place diocesan property and assets under control of TECSC’s trustees, hand over ownership of property of the 28 affected parishes to The Episcopal Church and TECSC, and appoint a Special Master to oversee the transition. The Episcopal Church has been hoping to engage with leaders of the breakaway group since the state Supreme Court ruling in August. Bishop Adams and other diocesan leaders have been seeking direct contact with people in the affected parishes, offering a “Frequently Asked Questions” publication and arranging individual meetings to work with those who want to remain in their home churches as Episcopalians. Direct talks are even more important now that the Supreme Court has ruled, the Bishop said. “We invite people in each of the parishes affected by this decision to read the FAQ document and get in touch with me directly, so we can discover how best to work together for the good of the parish, the diocese and the whole Church,” Bishop Adams said. “It happens that today is the day we remember St. Barnabas, and in the prayer assigned for today we note that he sought not his own renown, but the well-being of God’s Church. May we do the same.” A meeting of diocesan leaders, including the Standing Committee, Diocesan Council, Trustees, and Deans, has been called for Tuesday, June 12. The ordained and lay leaders will gather for prayer, hear information and discuss plans for the months ahead. Bishop Adams expressed gratitude to those within the diocese and throughout the wider Episcopal Church who have offered prayers and support through the last 5-1/2 years. “Many people have labored faithfully and sacrificed much to remain steadfast in solidarity with us as we seek to be disciples of Jesus in this place. For every one of you, I give thanks,” he said. MEDIA RESOURCES A Historical Timeline of The Episcopal Church in South Carolina Frequently Asked Questions for people and parishes The Diocesan Mission Grants Committee has awarded $116,900 in grants to mission congregations of our diocese, approving all eight grant requests it received for 2018.
The committee met May 31 to review the applications and hear in-person presentations. The Diocesan Trustees had initially approved $100,000 for the grant cycle, and since then have approved the additional amount to allow all the grant requests to be funded. The money will support some of our diocese's smaller congregations in paying clergy salaries, starting and increasing community involvement initiatives, sending parishioners to conferences for professional development, and enhancing music ministries. Seven grants were given directly to missions, while an eighth is for the Midlands-Pee Dee Ministry Partnership, which serves three mission churches in the Pee Dee as well as St. Augustine’s, Wedgefield; Good Shepherd, Sumter; and the Cheraw Episcopal worship group. The Mission Grants Committee consists of Bishop Skip Adams, Bill Beak, Charles Carpenter, Pamela Guess, Bob King, Rebecca Lovelace, Andrea McKellar, Mark Szen, and the Rev. Dr. Jim Taylor. The following grants were awarded: The East Cooper Episcopal Church, $25,000 Good Shepherd, Summerville, $16,000 Midlands-Pee Dee Ministry Partnership, $15,000 St. Alban's, Kingstree, $19,000 St. Anne's, Conway, $7,000 St. Catherine's, Florence, $3,500 St. Francis, Charleston, $13,900 St. Stephen’s, St. Stephen, $17,500 |
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- Home
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About Us
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Ministry
- Prayer Calendar
- Commission on Ministry
- Title IV Concerns
- Outreach
- Racial Justice & Reconciliation Commission
- Grants for Congregations
- Administrative Resources
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- Liturgy & Worship >
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- Church Connections >
- Ecumenical & Interfaith >
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