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On Monday, June 29, attorneys for the (Episcopal) Diocese of South Carolina and The Episcopal Church filed a Motion for Reconsideration and to Alter or Amend in the Court of Common Pleas for the First Judicial Circuit. This legal action is in response to the recent Order issued by South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Edgar Dickson that seemed to overturn the South Carolina Supreme Court final judgement from August 2017 which ruled that the diocesan property and 29 parishes should be returned to the parties affiliated with The Episcopal Church. This judgement marked a reversal of the lower court decision.
Today’s motion requests that the Court “should reconsider the Order and alter or amend it to conform to the Supreme Court’s holding that the property of the twenty-nine churches is held in trust for Defendants and that the Defendant diocese is the beneficiary of the trust that owns legal title to the Diocesan Property.” The motion also asks “the Court to discharge its job of enforcing the final judgment of the South Carolina Supreme Court.” Throughout the 20-page document, attorneys for the Diocese and The Episcopal Church offer the following six reasons to reconsider the Order as they were outlined on page 3 (each were explained and supported in full in the text of the motion):
As noted on page 18 of the motion: “After eight years of the adversarial process, for the Circuit Court to take away legally recognized rights at this time – based on the identical record that led to the Supreme Court’s reversal of Judge Goodstein – is nothing short of arbitrary and capricious.” Judge Edgar Dickson, a circuit court judge representing the First Judicial Circuit of South Carolina, was assigned this case in November 2017 when the South Carolina Supreme Court (SCSC) denied a Petition for Rehearing filed by the disassociated diocese. At that time, the SCSC issued a remittitur for the lower court to enforce the final judgement as decided by a 3-2 majority of the Court, which reversed the decision of the trial court. On Sunday, June 28, churches throughout our diocese celebrated the Fourth Sunday After Pentecost with online services of worship, as most of them have not resumed in-person worship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Churches in our diocese observed Bishop Guerry Sunday this week, to celebrate the Feast of William Alexander Guerry--Reformer, Martyr, and Eighth Bishop of our Diocese. Find out more about Bishop Guerry, including propers for this Feast Day, at this link. Click here for the lessons appointed for use on the Fourth Sunday After Pentecost. Find the links to the services below: All Saints Episcopal Church, Hilton Head Island All Saints offered a Weekend Worship Service for June 27 and 28. Watch it at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. The Episcopal Church in Okatie, Ridgeland Watch the Sunday service at this link. The Episcopal Church on Edisto, Edisto Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Summerville Watch the Sunday service at this link. Grace Church Cathedral, Charleston Watch the Sunday Choral Eucharist at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Holy Cross Faith Memorial Episcopal Church, Pawleys Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Church of the Holy Communion, Charleston Watch the Said High Mass from Sunday at this link. Church of the Messiah, Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Conway On Sunday, June 28, the Rev. Rob Donehue, Rector at St. Anne’s, preached at the 11 am service at Grace Church Cathedral. Watch it here. St. George’s Episcopal Church, Summerville Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Port Royal Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, North Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday service at this link. On Sunday, June 21, churches throughout our diocese celebrated the Third Sunday After Pentecost with online services of worship, as most of them have not resumed in-person worship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here for the lessons appointed for use on the Third Sunday After Pentecost. Find the links to the services below: All Saints Episcopal Church, Hilton Head Island All Saints offered a Weekend Worship Service for June 13 and 14. Watch it at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. The Episcopal Church in Okatie, Ridgeland Watch the Sunday service at this link. The Episcopal Church on Edisto, Edisto Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Summerville Watch the Sunday service at this link. The blessing and dismissal are at this link. Grace Church Cathedral, Charleston Watch the Sunday Choral Eucharist at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Holy Cross Faith Memorial Episcopal Church, Pawleys Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Church of the Holy Communion, Charleston Watch the Said High Mass from Sunday at this link. Follow along with the bulletin at this link. Church of the Messiah, Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Conway Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, Florence Watch the Sunday service on Zoom through Facebook at this link. St. Francis Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. George’s Episcopal Church, Summerville Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Port Royal Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, North Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday service at this link. CHARLESTON, SC – (June 19, 2020) South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Edgar Dickson, tasked in November 2017 by the South Carolina Supreme Court (SCSC) with a remittitur to enforce the final judgment of the SCSC which ruled in August 2017 that the diocesan property and 29 parishes should be returned to the parties affiliated with The Episcopal Church, issued an Order earlier today that seems to be contrary to that decision. In his Order, he ruled that the properties instead belong to each congregation, using the application of the neutral principles of law. His order indicates that the historic Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina has no interest in the properties of the breakaway congregations that left the historic diocese and The Episcopal Church.
While the August 2017 final judgement of the South Carolina Supreme Court was based on a finding that these specific diocesan properties had acceded to the 1979 Dennis Canon, Judge Dickson found no explicit accession existed. As noted in the Order, the 1979 Dennis Canon states the following: "All real and personal property held by or for the benefit of any Parish, Mission or Congregation is held in trust for this Church and the Diocese thereof in which such Parish, Mission or Congregation is located. The existence of this trust, however, shall in no way limit the power and authority of the Parish, Mission or Congregation otherwise existing over such property so long as the particular Parish, Mission or Congregation remain a part of, and subject to this Church and its Constitution and Canons." In his opinion with the majority in August 2017, SC Supreme Court Justice Costa Pleicones noted that a failure to recognize the “ecclesiastical nature of this dispute,” would “impose a requirement that each local church must specifically accede to the Dennis Canon before it can be bound. Such a requirement entangles the civil court in church matters, for TEC's Canons specifically provide that ‘no such action shall be necessary for the existence and validity of the trust.’” Judge Dickson’s order today seems inconsistent with that final judgement. However, representatives of the Diocese remain positive about the future. “This is not a final decision; it is yet another step on a long journey to full reconciliation within our Diocese,” said Diocesan Chancellor Thomas S. Tisdale, Jr. “While we are understandably disappointed that Judge Dickson has not enforced the Supreme Court’s decision as directed, we are hopeful that the South Carolina Supreme Court will hear the matter promptly and correct any errors that exist in today’s order,” said Tisdale. Our legal team has already begun working on a formal response to this order that will be filed in the near future. In his opinion, Judge Dickson ordered that the Federal Court has jurisdiction over all matters relating to trademarks, service marks, and intellectual property. To this end, our diocese remains the historic (Episcopal) Diocese of South Carolina. A NOTE FROM ARCHDEACON CALHOUN WALPOLE ON TODAY'S NEWS The news today is deflating to our deep desire to restore the Diocese of South Carolina and see our beloved diocese resurrected in newness of life—in both wholeness of health and fullness of being. But we do not lose heart, as our struggle is far from over. In this time of sweeping change across our country and proper confrontation with truth, we in the Diocese of South Carolina recognize our historical tendency of exclusion and subjugation of peoples—from African Americans to women to the LGBTQ community. Given that historical tendency, it is vital for us to remember today that our struggle here in South Carolina is, at its very core, a struggle for justice. And any struggle for justice is always worth it. The road may be hard. It may be long. It is certainly a dusty and winding road. But it is the road we have been placed upon together—and are privileged to travel—not only today—but on behalf of the future and for generations yet unborn. Today may feel like a sudden stop along the road—but as pilgrims, we remember that the road continues. As our martyred bishop, William Alexander Guerry, once wrote: “If we are to be truly Catholic, as Christ himself is catholic, then we must have a Church broad enough to embrace in its communion every living human soul.” This is our legacy. This is our calling. “Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.” Faithfully yours, Callie On Sunday, June 14, churches throughout our diocese celebrated the Second Sunday After Pentecost, with services of worship, many of which were offered online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here for the lessons appointed for use on the Second Sunday After Pentecost. Find the links to the services below: All Saints Episcopal Church, Hilton Head Island All Saints offered a Weekend Worship Service for June 13 and 14. Watch it at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. The Episcopal Church in Okatie, Ridgeland Watch the Sunday service at this link. The Episcopal Church on Edisto, Edisto Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Summerville Watch the Sunday service at this link. Grace Church Cathedral, Charleston Watch the Sunday Choral Eucharist at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Holy Cross Faith Memorial Episcopal Church, Pawleys Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Church of the Holy Communion, Charleston Watch the Said High Mass from Sunday at this link. Church of the Messiah, Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday Liturgy of the Word at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Conway Watch the Sunday Morning Prayer at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, Florence Watch the Sunday service on Zoom through Facebook at this link. St. Francis Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. George’s Episcopal Church, Summerville Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Port Royal Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, North Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday service at this link. On Sunday, June 7, churches throughout our diocese celebrated the First Sunday After Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, with online services of worship, as most of them have not resumed in-person worship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here for the lessons appointed for use on Trinity Sunday, the First Sunday After Pentecost. Find the links to the services below: All Saints Episcopal Church, Hilton Head Island All Saints offered a Weekend Worship Service for June 6 and 7. Watch it at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. The Episcopal Church in Okatie, Ridgeland Watch the Sunday Liturgy of the Word at this link. The Episcopal Church on Edisto, Edisto Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Summerville Watch the Sunday service at this link. Grace Church Cathedral, Charleston Watch the Sunday Choral Eucharist at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Holy Cross Faith Memorial Episcopal Church, Pawleys Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Church of the Holy Communion, Charleston Watch the Said High Mass from Sunday at this link. Church of the Messiah, Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday Liturgy of the Word at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Conway Watch the Sunday Morning Prayer at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, Florence Watch the Sunday service on Zoom through Facebook at this link. St. Francis Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. George’s Episcopal Church, Summerville Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Port Royal Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, North Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday service at this link. Province IV Bishops, including our Visiting Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Henry N. Parsley, released a statement on Thursday, June 4, regarding the murder of George Floyd, and other recent deaths of black citizens that serve as a "shocking reminder of what we have left undone."
Find the statement at this link and below: We, the Bishops of The Episcopal Church in Province IV, lead dioceses most of which were historically part of the states of the old Confederacy. As bishops in this region, we are well aware of the historic persistence of racism toward our black sisters and brothers. While such racism is not confined to our southern geography, its history with “Jim Crow” under its various guises over the years reminds us of the profound work left undone by our continued failure to fully address the sins of racism and white supremacy in our country. Recent events are a shocking reminder of what we have left undone. The white vigilante murder of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia; the unwarranted killing by police of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky while she was sleeping in her own bed; and now the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota also at the hands of police, scream out to us of our work left undone. Sadly, these racist murders are by no means the only ones, and they were not committed simply by a few bad actors. What we are seeing is the work of a conscious and unconscious system designed to deny dignity and safety to some of God’s children. The demonstrations across our country indicate that people have had enough. We believe all people of good will and love of neighbor should insist that this behavior by police and white vigilantes end now. Their actions tarnish the reputations of the many wonderful women and men who serve as police officers. We need national leadership who will work to make the changes necessary in our justice system, so such brutality becomes a thing of the past. We call on all in civil authority to step back from military-style responses to these demonstrations because they only serve to escalate tensions even further. What will reduce those tensions is a commitment by our elected leaders to lasting, tangible changes in law enforcement methods and in the laws governing them. We also invite our clergy and parishioners to recommit themselves to live into the Beloved Community, as Dr. King articulated it. We believe that this is what justice and mercy require as they are reflected in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Province IV Bishops signing (In alphabetical order) John Bauerschmidt, Bishop, Diocese of Tennessee Scott Benhase, Bishop & Vice-President, Province IV Greg Brewer, Bishop, Diocese of Central Florida Brian Cole, Bishop, Diocese of East Tennessee Peter Eaton, Bishop, Diocese of Southeast Florida Russell Kendrick, Bishop, Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast Frank Logue, Bishop, Diocese of Georgia Jose McLoughlin, Bishop, Diocese of Western North Carolina Henry Parsley, Visiting Bishop, Diocese of South Carolina Phoebe Roaf, Bishop, Diocese of West Tennessee Sam Rodman, Bishop, Diocese of North Carolina Brian Seage, Bishop, Diocese of Mississippi Rob Skirving, Bishop, Diocese of East Carolina Kee Sloan, Bishop, Diocese of Alabama Dabney Smith, Bishop, Diocese of Southwest Florida Morris Thompson, Bishop, Diocese of Louisiana Mark Van Koevering, Bishop, Diocese of Lexington Andrew Waldo, Bishop, Diocese of Upper South Carolina Terry White, Bishop, Diocese of Kentucky Rob Wright, Bishop, Diocese of Atlanta At this time of national upheaval, it is often hard to know what we can do to enact change and assist in healing. The Episcopal Church’s Department of Reconciliation, Justice and Creation Care and the Office of Government Relations have put together some excellent resources on how to Learn, Pray, and Act when responding to racist violence.
The Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina also offers the following additional resources from across the church and our country on topics such as talking to children about racial injustice and violence, prayers for peace, things you can do today to make change, and much more. Book Resources about Racism and Racial Justice A list of 31 Children's books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance compiled by the organization Embrace Race Books & Teaching Tips on Race and Racism from Building Faith An Interview with Dr. Jennifer Harvey, author of Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America. Dr. Harvey was the keynote speaker at the Forma Conference held in Charleston in 2018. Talking about Racism Wendy Claire Barrie, an editor for Church Publishing and Christian Educator, shares her tips for Talking with Children about Race Talking about Race Portal from the National Museum of African American History and Culture In 2016, Trinity Church Wall Street focused their annual series Listen for a Change on Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice. Speakers include Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary, the Very Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas. Grief In Grief in a Time of Injustice and Covid-19, Wendy Claire Barrie explores the unique time that we are living in, shares resources for grief, prayers, and links to things you can do now. Peace Building Faith offers Prayers, Books and Resources for Peace and an Interfaith Liturgy Against Violence South Carolina Organizations Fellowship of South Carolina Bishops Charleston Area Justice Ministry Enough Pie Other Resources Church Next offers a series on Racial Justice that can be taken as a class or an individual with topics including Theology, Spirituality, Reparations, Racism and Whiteness Blount Montgomery reflects on our Christian duty to stand up to injustice.  The Rev. Dr. Adam Shoemaker, Rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Charleston, announced today that Laura Rezac has accepted the call to serve as Associate Rector for Children and Youth Formation, effective October 1. Ms. Rezac has extensive experience working with young people in various Episcopal churches, notably as youth minister at the Chapel of the Cross, in Chapel Hill, NC, a congregation of 2,500 members, and as an educator. She has a passion for ministry to the young, a sensitivity to children’s unique learning differences, and a strong desire to serve an inclusive congregation.
Laura and her husband, Chris, will move to the Charleston area in the fall from Wilmington, NC. Ms. Rezac will be ordained to the transitional diaconate in the Diocese of North Carolina on Saturday, June 6. The service will be streamed online. You can find the invitation and link to the service here. Read the full announcement with links to a video announcement here. |
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- Home
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About Us
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Ministry
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- Commission on Ministry
- Title IV Concerns
- Outreach
- Racial Justice & Reconciliation Commission
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- Liturgy & Worship >
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