The Rev. Jennie Olbrych and the Rev. M. Dow Sanderson have been appointed by Bishop Skip Adams to serve as Chaplains to the Retired for The Episcopal Church in South Carolina. Working in cooperation with the Church Pension Group, chaplains to the retired provide local support to retired clergy, their spouses, and surviving spouses.

The newly appointed chaplains will fill the vacancy left by the Rev. Alastair Votaw, who served as Chaplain since 2013 and who recently moved to North Carolina. Bishop Adams said a gathering and celebration will be held later in 2019 to celebrate and offer thanks for the ministry of the old and new chaplains.

The Rev. Jennie Olbrych will begin her duties as Chaplain on July 9 following a scheduled vacation. She retired in May 2018 as vicar of St. James-Santee Episcopal Church in McClellanville, having served there since 2006. Since her ordination in 1989 she has served at several churches of our diocese, as well as a regional dean and member of diocesan commissions. She retired in 2016 as a Chaplain at Porter-Gaud School in Charleston.

The Rev. M. Dow Sanderson is priest-in-charge of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Summerville since July 2o17, previously serving as rector of Holy Communion, Charleston since 2001. He has served most of his 31 years of ordained ministry in South Carolina and has served on our Standing Committee, Commission on Ministry and in other diocesan leadership roles.

Contact our Chaplains:
The Rev. Dow Sanderson: [email protected] or 843-830-2937
(after July 9) The Rev. Jennie Olbrych: [email protected] or 843-324-5587

Three churches in our diocese offer a unique program for non-ordained people to worship, reflect and explore their Christian faith through Education for Ministry. June is a great time to consider joining EfM when the 2019-2020 session begins this fall.

Two churches recently celebrated with parishioners who completed EfM's four-year course of study: All Saints, Hilton Head Island celebrated the graduation of John Phillips on May 19, and Grace Church Cathedral recognized Jan Bolger, Ross Tortora, Gary McGee and Trish Ward with EfM certificates on May 26. Holy Cross Faith Memorial, Pawleys Island, will have two EfM graduates this summer, according to parish coordinator Michael Cureton. 

EfM is a four-year theological education program offered "at a distance" by the School of Theology at the University of the South at Sewanee. Participants commit to one year at a time, and meet weekly from September to May in seminars led by a trained mentor, with a class size limited to 12 participants. Over the four years, participants study the Bible, church history, and theology, while learning to engage in theological reflection. This provides a solid education in the foundations of our Christian faith.

If you'd like to explore joining an EfM class this fall, now is the time to get in touch, since classes need a minimum number of participants to be offered and the scheduling can depend on who is participating. Grace Church Cathedral, for example, offers three different groups that meet weekly on different days and times.

Visit our Education for Ministry page for more information, or get in touch directly using the contact information below:

All Saints, Hilton Head Island
Marilyn Roper at [email protected] or 843-363-6696.
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Grace Church Cathedral, Charleston
Canon Jean Bender at 843-723-4575 or [email protected].

Holy Cross Faith Memorial, Pawleys Island
Michael Cureton at 843-236-2525

Charles Jenkins has been named Associate for Pastoral Care at Christ Church in Greenville, in the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina. Charles, who is a candidate for ordination to the diaconate from our Diocese on June 15, began work on the Christ Church staff on June 1. He recently completed post-graduate work in Anglican Studies at the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee. ​