Hurricane season is upon us, and as Hurricane Ian threatened a landfall in the U.S. this week, diocesan staff sent out a reminder to points of contact at all congregations in the diocese with helpful tips to remember when preparing for threatening storms. Here is the text of that email:
SUGGESTIONS FOR PREPARING You already may have a checklist of items to prepare for the arrival of the hurricane. If not, you will find a suggested "last minute checklist" for preparing at your church here at this link. South Carolina Emergency Management has a hurricane guide that can be found here: hurricane.sc/. Some important points:
INSURANCE NEEDS The claims team at Church Insurance Agency Corporation is closely monitoring the storm and they are available 24/7 at 1-800-223-5705 for any Church Insurance Company insured needing to report damage. DIOCESAN OFFICE CONTACTS The Diocesan Office is not making any changes to regular office hours at this time. You may reach the staff at 843-259-2016 or on their personal cell phones. You can find each staff person’s contact information here: http://www.episcopalchurchsc.org/clergy--staff.html Please do not hesitate to reach out if we can be of any assistance. ---------------- God is our hope and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be moved, and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof rage and swell, and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same. There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. (Psalm 46) In the message below, Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley offers a pastoral word for the people of the diocese regarding the settlement agreement she announced yesterday along with the bishop of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, Bishop Chip Edgar. Read yesterday's joint announcement on our website at this link.
The entire letter below can be viewed as a .pdf at this link. September 27, 2022 Dear Friends in the Diocese of South Carolina, Yesterday, Bishop Chip Edgar of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina and I announced that our two dioceses have reached a final settlement agreement resolving numerous outstanding legal issues between our two dioceses (read the announcement at this link). This settlement was made possible after extensive, good-faith discussions between the leadership of each diocese, each of which was engaged in an open dialogue of mutual respect and good will toward one another. While the settlement does not end the ongoing negotiations on a parish level, including betterments litigation, it does bring resolution to all issues involving diocesan property. While each diocese has had to leave things on the table to get to this moment, and while we experience pain over losses of some of the historic churches our members hold dear, we have seen the Spirit at work in drawing us toward God’s redemptive way of love at every juncture. I remain hopeful that we can bring remaining parish issues to full resolution and move into a new season of ministry as two distinct dioceses working alongside each other in the same communities for the sake of the gospel. Reflecting on the process, Bishop Edgar noted in yesterday’s announcement, “This settlement agreement allows us to invest our diocesan energy, time, focus, and resources in gospel ministry rather than litigation … I am grateful that the work we have done has brought an end to litigation between our dioceses.” Following Jesus entails a willingness—an eagerness, even—to engage those who have been our opponents with the goal of repairing the breach between us. From the very beginning of this process, I have been grateful for the gracious spirit of Bishop Edgar in doing just this work with us. I am grateful for his leadership and his generosity. I am deeply grateful to the leadership of our diocese for their determined efforts that helped us arrive at this resolution. Our Diocesan Chancellor Bert “Skip” Utsey has worked skillfully and tirelessly to help achieve this agreement. His efforts both prior to and throughout these negotiations have been instrumental in allowing us to accomplish this settlement. Our Standing Committee and Trustees have been involved throughout this process, and both have given their unanimous support to this final agreement. The resolution of these matters would not have been possible without the outstanding legal work and continuous guidance of our retired Chancellor, Tom Tisdale and the Presiding Bishop’s Chancellor, Mary Kostel, over many years. We owe them, and our whole legal team, a debt of gratitude. It is difficult to express adequately my tremendous gratitude for their great work, and I know this would not be possible without each of them. It is often difficult to find common ground with those with whom we disagree. Yet, it was uplifting to see both sides in this resolution willing to make concessions that allowed us all to move forward. While the full details of the settlement remain confidential, we release today certain elements, including the following:
It has been nearly a decade since the schism in our diocese brought about heartbreak and loss, as many in our diocese no longer felt welcome to worship in their church homes. Over the past five months, we have reopened at St. John’s, Johns Island; St. David’s, Cheraw; and Christ Church, Mt. Pleasant. In the coming weeks, we hope Episcopalians can fully return for worship again at St. Bartholomew’s, Hartsville, and St. James, Charleston. We are working to determine how to best use all of our returning assets to support our mission and ministry across the diocese in the days ahead. Please know I am fully committed to supporting your future as The Episcopal Church where you have so faithfully kept our presence alive and growing, whether your property is being returned to you or not. I have great hope for the future of our diocese and our next season of ministry together. As we continue to go forth, may we remain focused on that which brings true reconciliation, believing in the power of the gospel to right the wrongs of injustice, heal the broken, and build a beloved community of God. Faithfully yours, Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley Download a copy of this release at this link.
CHARLESTON, SC – (September 26, 2022) Today, September 26, 2022, the Bishops of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina (EDOSC) and the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina (ADOSC) announced their respective dioceses have reached a final settlement agreement resolving numerous outstanding legal issues between their respective dioceses. This settlement is the result of self-guided mediation in which the two bishops and their chancellors have engaged over the past four months. It has the unanimous support of their diocesan leadership as well as the full support of The Episcopal Church. Both bishops agree that, though the settlement required each diocese to sacrifice things they hold dear, finalizing these issues enables them to move forward with ministry free from ongoing lawsuits over these issues. “Getting to this point required compromise from both sides; compromise always includes wins and losses,” said Bishop Chip Edgar of the ADOSC. “This settlement agreement allows us to invest our diocesan energy, time, focus and resources in gospel ministry rather than litigation. While the losses we have experienced, including those of St. Christopher and several of our parish buildings are painful, I am grateful that the work we have done has brought an end to litigation between our dioceses. I am grateful, too, for the willingness to work to avoid further litigation that Bishop Woodliff-Stanley showed throughout this process. These hard past few months were made easier by her kind and generous willingness to compromise to reach this settlement." Bishop Woodliff-Stanley said, “Following Jesus entails a willingness—an eagerness, even—to engage those who have been our opponents with the goal of repairing the breach between us. From the very beginning of this process, I have been grateful for the gracious spirit of Bishop Edgar in doing just this work with us. I am grateful for his leadership and his generosity. While each diocese has had to leave things on the table to get to this moment, and while we experience pain over losses of some of the historic churches our members hold dear, even still, we have seen the Spirit at work in drawing us toward God’s redemptive way of love at every juncture. I remain hopeful that we can bring remaining parish issues to full resolution and move into a new season of ministry as two distinct dioceses working alongside each other in the same communities for the sake of the gospel.” While the settlement does not affect the remaining issues regarding the property rights of three parishes currently pending before the South Carolina Supreme Court or the betterments lawsuit by several parishes pending in state trial court, it does resolve all remaining issues regarding diocesan properties. As part of the settlement agreement, the operations of St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center will transition from the ADOSC to the EDOSC on October 1, 2022. St. Christopher will continue to operate without interruption. The full details of the settlement have not been released. Both dioceses will share additional information later this week. Christ Episcopal Church in Mt. Pleasant held two joy-filled services on Sunday, September 18, as the church reopened under the leadership of the Rev. Furman Buchanan, priest-in-charge. Nearly 200 people attended the services as this church once again brings The Episcopal Church east of the Cooper River, in the place where it had been for centuries prior to the schism in 2012. This past Sunday, and going forward, there was a service in the historic chapel at 8 am (Rite I) and in the main church (pictured) at 10:30 am (Rite II). View more photos from Sunday on our Facebook page at this link.
Follow Christ Episcopal Church on Facebook at facebook.com/christepiscopalchurchmtp and on their website at www.christepiscopalmtp.org. Please continue to lift Fr. Buchanan and this congregation in prayer throughout this transition. Read more about Fr. Furman's call to Christ Church in this article shared in July 2022. Diocese Files Petition for Rehearing and a Motion for Relief from Judgment with the SC Supreme Court9/2/2022
![]() In response to the South Carolina Supreme Court’s opinion published on August 17, the historic Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina filed a Petition for Rehearing and a Motion for Relief from Judgment on Thursday, September 1, in regard to the court’s recent decisions concerning two churches that were once part of the historic diocese—Old St. Andrew’s in Charleston, and The Church of the Holy Cross in Stateburg. In the Petition for Rehearing, attorneys for the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina note that while the Court made a “factual determination and issued a declaratory judgment” as to whether the two churches revoked the trusts they expressly created, no court “previously addressed whether these parish trusts were revocable or actually revoked based on post-2006 evidence” because it was not previously considered an issue in the case. Because it was not considered, the Episcopal Diocese did not have “reason or opportunity to introduce evidence on this issue.” The petition requests that the Court reverse or vacate the rulings on revocability or revocation involving these two churches, or allow for the introduction of additional evidence before making a final ruling. In the Motion for Relief from Judgment, various evidence was presented to support a cause for relief from the declaratory judgement in favor of Old St Andrew’s, Charleston, and Holy Cross, Stateburg, based on the fact that the trusts were not revocable or that our diocese should be allowed to present further evidence to the Court. The motion also notes that a lack of full transparency between legal counsel on some issues constituted what is legally known as a “fraud on the court” that would be sufficient to provide relief from judgment. Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley expressed her gratitude in this moment. “I am grateful to our chancellor and legal team for their hard work and wisdom, and pray for the Court to respond with justice and clarity that will allow us to move to full resolution of these matters,” said Bishop Woodliff-Stanley. “This represents another step on what has been a long and trying journey, but even in this moment, God is unfolding a new season before us. I look forward to discovering with you all that God has in store.” Once the Court has published the filings on their site, they will be linked here. Until then, a copy of the Petition for Rehearing can be viewed at this link , and the Motion for Relief from Judgment can be viewed at this link. All additional exhibits will be available when shared on the Court’s website. |
News BlogThe Diocese of SC Archives
March 2025
Categories
All
|