St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center on Seabrook Island will return to the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina and The Episcopal Church on October 1, 2022. Located on 314 acres of beach, maritime forest, and undisturbed salt marsh, the center was first created through the gift of land to the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of South Carolina beginning in 1938. Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley has called Rick and Helen Hargreaves, experienced leaders of Episcopal camp and conference centers, to serve as interim executive directors and lead this important transition, beginning October 1.

Created as a summer camp for disadvantaged boys in 1938, St. Christopher has grown into a year-round camp and conference facility. The camp remains an integral part of the ministry at St. Christopher, with approximately 1,200 youth attending each summer, while the Conference Center also serves guest groups throughout the year. A wide variety of church, academic, non-profit and business groups have utilized the hotel-style conference and retreat amenities for their conference and retreat needs over the past 50 years. These same facilities also offer opportunities for personal use and family gatherings. In addition, the Barrier Island Environmental Education Program has operated since 1981, providing an amazing outdoor education experience for school children.

The Rev. Deacon Helen and Rick Hargreaves have a wealth of experience with Episcopal Church-affiliated camp and conference Centers, particularly in helping centers during times of transition. In 2016, the couple retired after serving as executive directors for 15 years at Camp Mitchell in the Diocese of Arkansas, but almost immediately found themselves asking what they were going to do with all they had learned through that valuable experience.

Soon after they were contacted by someone with the Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers (ECCC), a professional development and support network, who asked them if they would consider training that would allow them to guide interim directors and the unique challenges faced by those temporary positions. In the years since completing that training, the Hargreaves have guided several camp and conference centers as interim directors, including Sandscrest Conference and Retreat Center in West Virginia, the Cathedral Ridge Center in Colorado, and the Barbara Harris Camp and Conference Center in New Hampshire.

While serving in Colorado, the Hargreaves met Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, who was at the time serving in the Diocese of Colorado as Canon to the Ordinary. When Bishop Woodliff-Stanley learned earlier this year that the St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center would finally be returning to our diocese and The Episcopal Church, she immediately thought of the Hargreaves and knew they would be the right people to lead the center in this important transition.

“Helen and Rick are gracious leaders who bring the seasoned experience we need to guide us through the important season of transition as we welcome the St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center back into the Diocese and position it well for the future,” said Bishop Woodliff-Stanley. “I’m grateful to them for accepting this call and look forward to welcoming them to South Carolina.”
 
After much prayerful discernment and researching the rich history of the conference center, the Hargreaves, who are currently residents of Arkansas, accepted the call and agreed to serve as interim executive directors for a period of six to nine months, whatever is necessary to effectively lead the transition toward a permanent executive director. “It is evident that many people love St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center dearly, and we want to work with the staff to create a smooth transition while maintaining everything about the camp, conference center, and other educational programs that people have come to know and love,” said the Rev. Deacon Helen Hargreaves.

The Hargreaves have visited St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center and met with most of the leadership, with whom they very much look forward to working alongside. “We found the staff to be welcoming and helpful, and we are very grateful for the opportunity to work with them in this transitional time,” said the Rev. Deacon Helen Hargreaves. “I know they have fears, as anyone might when faced with a bit of the unknown, but one of the gifts that Rick and I have been given is the ability to build relationships with people. That will be a key priority, to calm fears and build meaningful relationships with those who have worked hard to keep St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center what it is today and what many people have loved for generations.”
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St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center is located on land that was once owned by Marjorie and Victor Morawetz. In 1938, the couple allowed the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina to operate a summer camp ministry for disadvantaged youth. This couple later deeded the entirety of their property on the island to the Diocese upon their deaths. After the schism in our diocese in 2012, the camp and conference center was operated by the diocese that left The Episcopal Church and later affiliated with the Anglican Church of North America. However, the South Carolina Supreme Court has since ruled, and affirmed in their decisions in April and August of this year, that the St. Christopher Camp and Conference center is the property of the diocese associated with The Episcopal Church, to whom the property was given due to the kindness and generosity of the Morawetz family. The property ownership will officially return to the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina on October 1, 2022.

In the message below, Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley offers a pastoral word for the people of the diocese regarding the opinion published today by the South Carolina Supreme Court (learn more about the decision at this link).

August 17, 2022
 
Dear Friends in the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina,

Nathan and I are away and I have just received the news of the South Carolina Supreme Court’s decision today. I am very disappointed, as I am sure are many of you. I am keenly aware of the many connections across our diocese to the six churches that were referenced in the Court’s decision. The cost to all of our communities is significant, particularly to those with direct links to these churches. The Court today referenced these churches as property, but the people of the diocese know all too well that it’s not about simple real estate. These are the houses of worship that many Episcopalians have called a spiritual home for generations. For those of you for whom this is the case, I grieve the potential loss of these church homes.

I am particularly mindful that when a decision we understood to be final, is subsequently reversed again, it creates a distinct kind of pain and anger. Know that we will be reviewing all possible courses of action as we move forward.

To those who have loved these churches and called them home, please know of my strong commitment to supporting your future as The Episcopal Church in each place where you so faithfully have kept our presence alive and thriving.

Despite this very difficult decision, I remain convinced that the God who began a good work among us, will continue to strengthen us and make our diocese flourish. We have a future filled with hope rooted in the love, mercy, and justice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am excited to continue this journey with you. It is my great joy to serve among you.

Faithfully yours,
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The Rt. Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley
Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina

The South Carolina Supreme Court issued an opinion today in response to the seven congregations that had filed petitions for rehearing. The Court ruled in April 2022 that 14 of the churches that left The Episcopal Church and its associated diocese after October 2012 had placed their property in trust for the benefit of The Episcopal Church and its associated diocese. 

Initially eight petitions were filed for rehearing. In June, the Court denied the petition filed by Christ Church, Mt. Pleasant, in its entirety but requested briefing regarding the other seven churches based on two arguments: revocation of trust based on a specific South Carolina law, and that “no trust was created because the language purporting to constitute accession existed in the bylaws or constitutions before 1979.” After considering the arguments presented by the parties’ briefs, the Court changed its initial ruling and found that the following congregations did not create a trust pursuant to the Dennis Canon in favor of The Episcopal Church and its associated diocese (and therefore retain title to their real estate):

• Holy Comforter, Sumter
• St. Jude’s, Walterboro
• St. Luke’s, Hilton Head
• Trinity, Myrtle Beach

​Additionally, the Court found in its Order that Old St. Andrew’s, Charleston; Holy Cross, Stateburg; and Good Shepherd, Charleston, had created a trust; however, it changed its initial ruling and found that Old St. Andrew’s and Holy Cross had properly revoked their trusts and therefore retain title to their real estate. The Court denied the petition for rehearing by Good Shepherd, Charleston.

Included in today’s order was a re-filed Opinion that replaces that which was published on April 20, 2022. In summary, the amended opinion concludes that eight churches and all diocesan property (including St. Christopher Camp & Conference Center) must be returned to the historic Diocese of South Carolina and The Episcopal Church. The churches are:

• Christ Church, Mt. Pleasant (returning September 2022)
• Good Shepherd, Charleston
• Holy Trinity, Charleston
• St. Bartholomew’s, Hartsville
• St. David’s, Cheraw (returned August 2022)
• St. James, Charleston/James Island
• St. John’s, Johns Island (returned July 2022)
• St. Matthew’s, Fort Motte

Upon receipt of the Order today, Chancellor Skip Utsey noted that the diocesan leadership will meet next week when Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley returns from her vacation to consider options available to the diocese as we continue to move forward.

Prayers are appreciated for all who are affected by the Court’s decisions, particularly for those congregations that may be unable to return to their church homes.

Download the full release at this link.
St. David’s, Cheraw, 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 on Monday, August 1, 2022, as a result of the South Carolina Supreme Court’s April ruling that 14 churches which left The Episcopal Church in 2012 and later joined the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) did not have proper ownership based on state trust law. The Right Reverend Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina, has called the Rev. Michael Bye, who has been serving the Episcopal Worship Group of Cheraw, to lead the church as interim priest-in-charge through the end of this year. The church will reopen as St. David’s Episcopal Church, with a service of Holy Eucharist on Sunday, August 7, at 10 am. The St. David’s Episcopal School will continue to operate and is expected to reopen on Monday, August 15, for the 2022-23 school year.

Bishop Woodliff-Stanley expressed gratitude as she looks forward to a new season for St. David’s Episcopal Church and School. “I rejoice with the Episcopalians of Cheraw in anticipation of the reopening of St. David’s historic parish,” said the bishop. “The strong and loving Episcopal community of Cheraw has faithfully shared the good news of Jesus for generations in an area rich with the history of our diocese and state. Now, guided by their wise leadership in Cheraw, we look forward to welcoming new friends and old to worship with us at St. David’s. I give particular thanks to the lay leaders, and to Father Mike Bye, for their leadership. We are excited that the important ministry of the St. David’s Episcopal School will continue; we look forward to serving children and their families. All are welcome to join us as we share the gospel of Jesus Christ together in a new season in Cheraw.”

The Rev. Michael Bye is hopeful for the future as he continues to lead Episcopalians in Cheraw. “We are both happy and grateful to be returning to the St. David’s building,” said Father Bye. “We are eagerly looking forward to fostering reconciliation and healing as we proclaim, by deed and word, the gospel to all people.”

After nearly 10 years of litigation, the South Carolina Supreme Court determined that 14 of at least 36 churches which had claimed possession of their properties and left The Episcopal Church, including St. David’s in Cheraw, had created an irrevocable trust in favor of The Episcopal Church and its associated diocese, The (Episcopal) Diocese of South Carolina. St. David’s, Cheraw, is the second church to be returned to the historic diocese since the Court’s decision in April.

When the congregations broke away from The Episcopal Church, many members of these churches expressed an interest in continuing to worship in the traditions of the larger Church. Groups of people from these displaced congregations led the effort across the eastern half of South Carolina to begin new mission churches and worshiping communities. In Cheraw, a group of loyal Episcopalians established the Episcopal Worship Group of Cheraw, in full union with the Diocese of South Carolina. For years, this worshiping community, with many members who previously attended St. David’s Episcopal Church before the schism, worshiped together regularly, most recently gathering in a local bank for Sunday services and hoping for a day they could return to St. David’s as Episcopalians.

Sarah Spruill has served as Junior Warden (lay leader) of The Episcopal Worship Group of Cheraw, and while she has longed to return to St. David’s Episcopal Church, she understands well the depth of emotions felt on both sides. “The Episcopalians in Cheraw are very mindful of how much St. David's Church means to all of us who have worshiped there,” said Ms. Spruill. “We were deeply saddened when part of the congregation left the Episcopal Church, and we know well the pain of leaving a building that holds many memories— as it happened to us. We are thankful that the long legal battle is finally over, and we can now go forth and continue to do God's work as we return to our historic worship space. We want to reunify and build with all of God's children, rejoicing in the power of the spirit in a place where all are welcome.”  
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St. David’s Church was established in Cheraw in 1768 and became part of The Episcopal Church in 1819. The original parish church, known locally as Old St. David’s (circa 1770), is owned by the Chesterfield County Historic Preservation Commission, but the section of the cemetery immediately around the old church is owned by The Episcopal Church. In 1916, St. David’s Episcopal Church moved to its current location at 420 Market Street in Cheraw where it served the community as part of The Episcopal Church for nearly 100 years.