![]() The 233rd Convention of the Diocese of South Carolina will be held November 2-4, 2023, at St. James Episcopal Church in Charleston (James Island). Please mark your calendar, particularly those who will serve their congregations as delegates to convention this year, but all are welcome to attend. The official Call to Convention and relevant travel information, including hotel blocks, will be shared soon. There are a couple of important changes to convention plans this year. First, convention will take place starting Thursday afternoon through midday on Saturday. This expanded time of convention reflects the growing breadth of ministries in our diocese and also will accommodate the need for clergy and lay ministers to travel home and rest before Sunday worship. This adjustment will also allow more time for fellowship. Convention, after all, is not just a business meeting--it is the annual "family reunion" of the diocese. The venue for convention has been changed from what was previously announced, which was that the event would be hosted in the Southern Deanery. A small group of Southern Deanery clergy and lay leaders began planning with diocesan staff in earnest back in December, but a number of challenges led the group to consider alternative locations. After some exploratory conversations, a promising new course of action began to take shape. St. James, located at 1872 Camp Road on James Island, a parish with roots in The Episcopal Church dating back more than 200 years, returned to the Diocese of South Carolina and The Episcopal Church in December as a result of the South Carolina Supreme Court’s 2022 rulings. The Rev. Taylor Smith was called as priest-in-charge, and he serves alongside a faithful and capable group of staff and lay leaders who enthusiastically agreed to host the convention. A great deal of energy and work has gone into renovating parts of the large and historic physical plant of the campus, which includes the church, a parish hall and office building, and a facility with a large multipurpose event space, kitchen, and other meeting rooms that will serve well the needs of the diocesan convention. The buildings are surrounded by beautiful grounds, a churchyard, and a marsh-front outdoor chapel, and the campus is across the road from Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community. Father Smith expressed joy at welcoming the convention to the historic space at St. James. "The people of St. James are honored and excited to have been asked to host the 2023 Diocesan Convention!" said Fr. Smith. "God willing (and we’re pretty sure God is!), we will have beautiful, newly-renovated space to which we can welcome Bishop Ruth and all the faithful of the Diocese of South Carolina to James Island. God is doing great things in the diocese and at St. James and we can’t wait to share!" Diocesan Convention will be held in the Southern Deanery in 2024. The Very Rev. Roy Tripp serves as regional dean in addition to his ministry as rector of St. Mark's in Port Royal. He and other leaders in the deanery have given the change of venue their full endorsement. Dean Tripp stated,"We look forward to our gathering this November and we look forward even moreso to welcoming the diocese to the Southern Deanery in 2024." ![]() With the blessing of Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, the Rev. Furman Buchanan, rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Mt. Pleasant, has called the Rev. Brooks Boylan as associate rector for congregational life and growth. In this role, Father Brooks will assist in the sacramental, preaching, pastoral, and teaching functions for Christ Church, with a special focus on ministries among children, youth, and families. Rev. Buchanan announced the joyful news on Friday, June 16, in a letter to the congregation. “We are fortunate to welcome such a faithful, gifted, and joyful priest who also brings a wealth of experience in youth and children’s ministry,” said Fr. Buchanan. Currently serving as associate rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia, Father Brooks is looking forward to joining Christ Church in mid-July along with his wife, Dr. Sarah Stonesifer Boylan, and their young son, Red. “My family and I are very excited about this new adventure with the Diocese of South Carolina,” said Father Brooks. “Becoming a part of the Christ Church, Mount Pleasant community is an incredible opportunity, and the work ahead will be truly amazing. I am looking forward to get to know this parish and to grow with them.” A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Father Brooks earned both a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and master’s degree in education from the University of Mississippi. He then served for 10 years as a youth and family minister in the Dioceses of Alabama and Western Louisiana before following the call to ordained ministry, earning a Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) in May 2019. Father Brooks was ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana in June 2019. Upon graduation from VTS he served as curate at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Lafayette, LA, and then in December 2020, he joined St. Peter’s, Arlington. Originally built in 1708, the historic Christ Church Parish was one of the first churches in the Diocese of South Carolina. In addition to the smaller, historic church building, the more than 20-acre campus includes a larger and more modern sanctuary, dedicated in 1996, and Christ Church Day School, which welcomes children ages 12 months to five years. Christ Church, Mt. Pleasant, is located at 2304 Highway 17 North. ![]() Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley has called the Rev. Joseph Smith to serve as the first rector of The Episcopal Church on Edisto (Edisto Island), beginning on Sunday, August 20, 2023. Currently, Father Smith is the rector of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, Pennsylvania, where he has been for almost nine years. A native of Columbia, South Carolina, he looks forward to returning to the Palmetto State. “We are delighted to welcome Father Joseph Smith back to South Carolina,” said Bishop Woodliff-Stanley. “Beloved in his present diocese, Father Joseph brings the experience, skill, vision and care that will help The Episcopal Church on Edisto build a compelling next chapter in their ministry. We look forward to welcoming Father Joseph, his wife Sharon, and their family to our diocese.” Ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina in 2008, Father Smith served two congregations in Spartanburg, South Carolina, before moving to Pennsylvania for the call to St. Mary’s in 2014. Though he is grateful for his time in Wayne, Pennsylvania, he is very much looking forward to the move to Edisto Island, along with his wife, Sharon. “I knew right away that it was the right place for me to be at this time in my life,” said Father Smith. In a letter shared with his current church congregation on Sunday, he referenced his sermon on that day saying, “Some of you may have noticed that today’s sermon was all about answering God’s call. I believe that by accepting this new challenge, by taking this leap of faith, Sharon and I are saying ‘yes.’” Father Smith is a graduate of the College of Charleston (1987) and received his Master of Divinity from the Sewanee School of Theology in 2007. He and his wife, Sharon, are the parents of three adult children, Lindsay, Patrick, and Connor. They are also parents to Sam, an adult refugee from the Republic of the Congo. The Episcopal Church on Edisto was founded after the diocesan schism in 2012 by faithful Episcopalians on Edisto Island who wanted to maintain a presence of The Episcopal Church on their beloved barrier island. This devoted group, committed to being a loving and inclusive congregation, began worshiping together wherever they could find the space—first living rooms, then a BBQ restaurant, before finally finding a home in the historic church building of the New First Missionary Baptist Church at 1650 Highway 174. They founded The Episcopal Church on Edisto, which was recognized as a mission of our diocese in 2014 and as a parish in 2022. Over the years, The Episcopal Church on Edisto has been served by a number of priests-in-charge and supply clergy, but they are grateful to call their first rector. James Gettys, who currently serves as the church’s senior warden, noted that the congregation is “joyful and excited” to welcome Father Smith to Edisto Island. Pat Neumann served as the chair for the church’s Rector Search Committee. “From the time that our Search Committee first reviewed the application materials from the Rev. Joseph Smith until the moment we took the vote to send his name to our Vestry, we could feel the Holy Spirit moving among us,” said Neumann. “Father Smith is the perfect priest for The Episcopal Church on Edisto. We have truly been blessed by God.” Father Smith will complete his service at St. Mary’s on July 30 and will start at The Episcopal Church on Edisto on Sunday, August 20. ![]() Camp Saint Christopher is so excited for the start of the summer season this week as a summer camp affiliated with The Episcopal Church once again! The staff has been training on-site since May 15, and preparing themselves emotionally and spiritually to welcome young people to have fun, connect with one another, and encounter the Living Christ in this special place. The leadership at St. Christopher Camp and Conference center has asked the diocese to consider supporting your camp staff through prayers, and possibly a not-so-random act of kindness. Churches are invited to sign up for a week in which your community commits to praying for the staff. Along with your prayers, you are invited to extend an act of kindness to the staff. This can be as simple as sending along some candy or snacks, or as elaborate as providing a home-cooked meal. The most important thing is your prayers, and the staff will be strengthened and grateful for the show of support! Please visit the sign-up genius below and select a week for your church community to take on this ministry of support and encouragement. The Rev. Laura Rezac, who assumes the role as executive director at St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center next week, will be in touch with further details once you sign up. Many thanks for your consideration of this important call to action. Click this link to view the signup form! ![]() The Rev. Bill Coyne completed a year of service as interim priest-in-charge at The Episcopal Church on Edisto at the end of May. Though he originally committed for a period of six months, he graciously agreed to double that commitment as the church continued their search for their next rector. The church is hopefully nearing the end of that search and hopes to call their first rector soon. Father Bill shared a message with the congregation, that concluded with his wishes for their future: "I see a bright future for this parish. May the new Rector continue to find you resilient, prayerful and mission-minded," said Rev. Coyne. The Episcopal Church on Edisto will be served by a number of supply clergy over the coming months as they hope to soon call their new rector. ![]() On Pentecost, Sunday, May 28, the Rev. Mike Szymanowski served for his final Sunday as interim priest-in-charge of St. George's, Summerville. He had been serving the congregation on a part-time basis since October 2022 as they continue their search for their next rector. As the search continues, St. George's will be served in the coming weeks by the Rev. Gregory Hodgson as a guest priest for at least the first few weeks of June. Additional plans will be announced when available. |
News BlogThe Diocese of SC Archives
March 2025
Categories
All
|