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New lawsuit filed by disassociated group

11/21/2017

A group that left The Episcopal Church in 2012 is again suing local Episcopalians and The Episcopal Church, filing a lawsuit in Dorchester County.

The breakaway group, which is continuing to use the name “The Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of South Carolina,” included the names of 27 parishes as plaintiffs in the suit. It was filed on Sunday, November 19 in St. George, the same venue where the disassociated group initially filed its legal action in 2013, seeking to take the properties of the Diocese of South Carolina and most of its parishes out of The Episcopal Church.

The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled August 2 that those properties must remain with the Church and its local diocese, The Episcopal Church in South Carolina. The Supreme Court rejected two post-opinion motions on November 19, making the ruling final. The new filing in Dorchester County cites the little-used “betterments statute” to seek compensation from TECinSC and The Episcopal Church for the cost of improvements made to the properties over the years.

“This new filing is not only completely without merit, but unfortunate and inappropriate. It moves us no closer to the kind of resolution that restores unity to our diocese,” Chancellor Thomas S. Tisdale said.

The Right Reverend Gladstone B. Adams III, Bishop of The Episcopal Church in South Carolina, expressed hope that all the parties will now direct their assets and energy toward a common goal of reunifying and restoring the Diocese.

“I appeal to the leaders of the disassociated group and their counsel to allow the people in the affected parishes to start having the necessary conversations with us to ensure that they can continue to worship in their churches. It is time to begin healing this division,” Bishop Adams said.

All parties in the case have previously agreed to mediation to work out how to implement the Supreme Court ruling as well as issues raised in a separate federal lawsuit. That mediation is scheduled to resume in Columbia December 4-5.

The Episcopal Church in South Carolina is the recognized diocese of The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion in eastern South Carolina. During the division, it has continued to serve more than 7,000 parishioners in 31 congregations.

Supreme Court Decision and a Statement from Bishop Adams

11/19/2017

Supreme Court Decision

Ruling in favor of The Episcopal Church in South Carolina, the South Carolina Supreme Court has denied two motions from a disassociated group and upheld its August 2 decision that property and assets of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina, and most of its parishes, must remain with The Episcopal Church.
The orders, dated Friday, November 17, can be found here:

Denial of rehearing motion
Denial of recusal motion

Friday’s rulings reject two motions that were filed by a breakaway group that left The Episcopal Church in 2012. One sought a rehearing of the case, while the other asked that Justice Kaye Hearn, one of the five justices who wrote the opinion, be recused, and her opinion vacated.

The court voted 2-2 on the rehearing motion; a majority would have been required in order to grant a rehearing. Justice Hearn did not vote.

The court voted unanimously to deny the motion seeking Justice Hearn’s recusal. Justice Jean Toal, who was serving as Chief Justice at the time the court heard the case, noted that "an adverse decision is no reason to excuse a nearly two-and-a-half year delay in making a request for recusal."

"While I make no criticism of the respondents' lawyers for filing the motions to recuse and for vacature, I am disappointed in the tone of these filings. They are unreasonable harsh criticisms of a highly accomplished judge and a person of great decency and integrity," Justice Toal said.

Statement from Bishop Adams
The Episcopal Church in South Carolina

We give thanks for the clarity that the State Supreme Court’s decision provides and we are grateful for the thoughtful and difficult work the justices have undertaken in this case.

From the time this lawsuit was filed against The Episcopal Church, the hope of reconciliation has been our guiding principle. We believe this is what the Lord Jesus would expect of us and it is consistent with the teachings of St. Paul who said in his second letter to the Church in Corinth, “All this is from God, who reconciled himself to us in Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” We renew our commitment to this hard work of reconciliation in the days to come.

We understand that the many people in the parishes affected by this ruling may be experiencing pain, fear and confusion. Let me say to all that The Episcopal Church in South Carolina is committed to finding a path that will allow the people of God to continue to live their lives as a part of the Anglican Communion in and through the Episcopal Church. As a former Bishop of South Carolina, William Alexander Guerry, said more than 100 years ago, “If we are to be truly catholic, as Christ himself is catholic, then we must have a Church broad enough to embrace within its communion every living human soul.”

The Episcopal Church seeks to be an expression of faith in Christ that welcomes all to his expansive Table. Our prayer is that every person in every parish of the Diocese will join in working and praying together to bring healing to the Church, the Body of Christ, in this part of South Carolina.

The Rt. Rev. Gladstone B. Adams III
Bishop, The Episcopal Church in South Carolina

A message of thanks from the Rev. Bill Redfield

11/15/2017

The Reverend Bill Redfield, our keynote presenter on November 11 at the 227th Diocesan Convention, sent this letter of thanks to the diocese.

Dear People of the Episcopal Church in South Carolina,

It was my great honor and pleasure to be with you at your diocesan convention. I give deep bows to all the delegates, staff, and others who participated in our work on Saturday morning. It was anything but typical convention fare, but you beautifully and courageously rose to the occasion to do this important healing work. It was both inspiring and humbling for me to witness the integrity and honesty with which you engaged in this work.

As I mentioned that morning, I did not have the time to explain the Wisdom work with which I am currently engaged. So here I want to share at least a thumbnail sketch.

Cynthia Bourgeault is my teacher and I work within her “Wisdom lineage.” Beyond the level of the intellectual mind, Wisdom seeks to move the person to deeper levels of seeing and knowing beyond and beneath the rational mind. So, Wisdom isn’t knowing more (exactly), it’s knowing with more of us. Beyond the intellectual rational knowing are other centers of knowing that can take us beyond just what we can know and comprehend with our heads. Spiritual practices open us to this deeper knowing, and they open us to experience the truth of the reality we may proclaim with the faith of our mental mind. This shift from mental belief to experience and felt sense marks the trajectory of Wisdom. And this shift is what is experienced in our Wisdom Schools – three- to five-day immersion experiences of a rhythm and balance of prayer, practice, teaching, and conscious work. The aim of these Wisdom Schools is the movement from a perspective of reality that is scattered and fragmented to a deeper and more integral sense of the unity of all.

My work consists of leading these Wisdom Schools in different parts of the country – although currently I mostly work in the Northeast. I also work with people both in person and on Skype or Zoom in what I call “Wisdom Mentoring.” A little like spiritual direction, this work is intended to assist people in the integration of Wisdom learnings and experiences. My website is: www.wisdomswork.com. You can also consult the website of Northeast Wisdom: www.northeastwisdom.org. There you will find the offerings and writings of mine and other Wisdom teachers. And please, feel free to contact me at [email protected]. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have or help you in any way I can.

It was a deep pleasure for me to work with your Bishop in bringing this work to your diocese. Although he is no longer technically my Bishop, I remain committed to assisting him in his ministry any way I can. It was a great joy for me to be with him and Bonnie for this past weekend and to renew our deep friendship. And I deeply enjoyed getting to know Rick and Jane and all the clergy and people of All Saints, Hilton Head. The hospitality shown to me by both the diocese and the parish of All Saints was exquisite. My sincere hope is that I will be able to see you and work with you again in the future.

I send my love and blessings.

Faithfully,
Bill Redfield

Report from the 227th Diocesan Convention

11/15/2017

(This report also can be found on the 227th Convention page of our website.)

More than 300 delegates, visitors and guests representing the 31 congregations of our diocese and friends from across the Church gathered at All Saints Episcopal Church on Hilton Head Island November 10-11 for the 227th Diocesan Convention of The Episcopal Church in South Carolina.

The theme of the Convention was “The Wisdom of the Body,” and the assembled body celebrated that theme through worship, meetings, workshops, presentations and an uplifting Convention Eucharist that included the annual address to Convention from Bishop Skip Adams.

“In this relatively short time I have discovered that the wisdom of this body is broad and it is deep,” said Bishop Adams, who became Provisional Bishop in September 2016. “I remain grateful to God to be ministering with such a blessed group of faithful people. It brings me joy.”

(Watch the Bishop’s address here. The text can be found here.)

The Eucharist included scripture readings presented dramatically by the Sacred Storytellers of All Saints, including I Corinthians 12:12-27 (“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ...”)

Bishop Adams said St. Paul was making the point that “we are an organic unity, not derived from ideology or agreement on issues, but out of a relationship with a person, Jesus of Nazareth. Naming various parts of the body as examples of various responsibilities in the faith community, he says that no one part can say to another, ‘I have no need of you.’ Or to say it more positively, we need each other and must find a way to function that way.

“St. Paul is clear: the Body is one, and so it is with Christ,” the Bishop said. “We might call this ‘The Wisdom of the Body.’ It means the end of power plays, manipulation, the running of personal agendas and ‘my way or the highway’ reactivity that takes our marbles and goes home. All are watered of one Spirit. We come from the same source or faucet if you will, for ‘You are the Body of Christ and individually members of it.’”

He challenged listeners to offer their best to the Church and “seize the moment God is giving us,” encouraging parish and mission leaders to do a self-assessment by asking themselves questions such as:

What do you need to undertake in order to strengthen the life of your congregation and participate in the Wisdom of the Body?
What will it take for you to move out beyond self-care and mere survival to be a transformative Kingdom presence in your neighborhood and beyond?

“If we do this from a deeply centered place rooted in the wisdom way of Jesus, it will lead to action that is life-changing for all,” the Bishop said.

Saturday’s sessions

Saturday began with Morning Prayer, celebrating the feast day of St. Martin of Tours. It was also Veterans Day, and during the service, the Bishop presided over the profession of Brother Christopher Thompson (the Rev. Chris Thompson, interim rector of Holy Communion, Charleston), in the Order of the Hospitallers of St. Martin. This is a newly formed monastic community in the Episcopal Church, focusing on prayer, hospitality, and reconciliation for veterans. Read more about them here.

Convention Keynote & Workshop: The Rev. Bill Redfield

Most of the morning session was devoted to time with the keynote speaker, the Reverend Bill Redfield, retired rector of Trinity Church, Fayetteville, NY. Fr. Redfield brought his experience as an Episcopal priest, licensed clinical social worker, and student of Centering Prayer under Cynthia Bourgeault, leading a session that included times of quiet reflection, one-on-one conversations and deep sharing and listening.

Fr. Redfield said he wanted to “hold up a mirror” to the gathered representatives of our diocese and help them see themselves as Bishop Adams has come to see us in his year as our Provisional Bishop. “He has fallen in love with you, and it is that perspective of love that sees you as whole, and holy. …And that perspective is objectively and accurately real,” Fr. Redfield said.

Expanding on the Convention theme, “The Wisdom of the Body,” he spoke of efforts in the church to recover the ancient traditions of “body wisdom.” He encouraged the delegates to bring their attention to ways in which painful and difficult times they have experienced due to division in the diocese in recent years may manifest themselves physically. Rather than push those experiences out of their minds, he asked people to identify those feelings and regard them with love and compassion. Participants also spent time in pairs to take turns speaking and listening about those experiences.

“This is wisdom of the body – this is wisdom of the body faithful,’’ Fr. Redfield said.

Convention reports

Buck Blanchard, Officer for Global Mission Development for The Episcopal Church, talked about this new role in the Presiding Bishop’s Office, visiting parishes and missions to encourage individuals to answer their call to be involved in international mission work.

“Anglicans around the world in 165 countries want the same things for their children we do, and they want to know us and make connections,” he said. “Say yes to the call. Don’t let fear keep you from doing it.”

Danny Sanford of the Still Hopes Episcopal retirement community in Columbia, one of the institutions of our diocese, reported on an exciting new intergenerational project being studied for the York Place campus.

The 80-acre York Place campus, long used as an Episcopal home for children, currently is unused and is ready to be revitalized. The Diocese of Upper South Carolina and Still Hopes discussed using it for senior housing, but also have begun to explore adding day programming for children.

Studies are under way to look at the market, the infrastructure, and what the local needs are in York County. Currently, studies are focusing on providing housing for elders age 55 and older combined with an early childhood program for ages 2-4. “We know that they will see their life enhanced and better outcomes for both sides,” Mr. Sanford said.

No resolutions were reported to the Convention. Only one was submitted to the Resolutions Committee, and it was withdrawn. Committee members said the submitters’ concerns would be reported to our Deputation to General Convention and relayed through them to the wider Church.

Diocesan Treasurer the Rev. Jim Taylor reported that the state of the diocese’s finances is strong, and drew attention to the good audit report received in September. Convention delegates voted to approve the 2018 diocesan budget, which totals $602,548, up from $559,290 in 2017. The increase is funded by growth in the contributions of parishes and missions of the diocese.

Chancellor Thomas S. Tisdale Jr. gave a brief report, saying that “Our diocese is structurally strong and in good order.” He offered an overview of the status of legal matters and mentioned that mediation involving the diocese is scheduled to resume December 4-5. “Our first goal is one of constantly seeking reconciliation with those now separated from us,” he said.

Also on Saturday, the Convention commissioned our Deputies to the 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, which will be held in Austin, Texas, in July 2018: The Very Rev. Rick Lindsey, the Rev. Dr. Jim Taylor, the Rev. Wil Keith, the Rev. Jean McGraw, Pam Guess, Andrea McKellar, Lonnie Hamilton, Mark Szen; and Alternate Deputies the Rev. Cn. Dr. Wilmot T. Merchant II, the Rev. Cn. Caleb J. Lee, the Rev. Bill Coyne, the Rev. Jeff Richardson, and Carrington Wingard.

On Friday afternoon, a pre-convention roundtable discussion on the 79th General Convention was led by Fr. Lindsey, who is chair of the Deputation. (To follow our Deputation to General Convention and find contact information for the Deputies, visit our official General Convention blog: episcopalsc.blogspot.com)

All the detailed reports at Convention will be included in the official Journal of the 227th Diocesan Convention, which will be available on the website when it is completed. (Reports submitted by our diocesan institutions can be found here.)

Elections

Delegates voted during the morning session to fill seats on the Diocesan Council, Standing Committee, and the Board of Trustees of the University of the South. The following results were announced after lunch:

Standing Committee, Clergy
The Rev. Dr. George Moyser
The Rev. Fred Thompson

Standing Committee, Lay
Emily Guess
Rick Stall

Diocesan Council, Clergy
The Rev. Rob Donehue
The Rev. Cn. Dr. Wilmot Merchant II

Diocesan Council, Lay
Ray Wannamaker Sabalis
Carrington S. Wingard

Trustee, University of the South, Lay
Tom Miller

At a brief meeting of the Standing Committee held immediately following adjournment, the Reverend Jeff Richardson was elected Standing Committee President.

The 228th Diocesan Convention
The Reverend Chris Thompson, Interim Rector of Church of the Holy Communion, Charleston, issued the invitation to our 2018 convention at Holy Communion. Watch for the date to be announced soon.

Mediation update

11/7/2017

At 10:45 am today, Bishop Adams and Chancellor Tom Tisdale announced that the mediation with Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr. has been recessed until December 4-5, 2017.

Please continue to pray for all parties in the mediation. (Read the Bishop's call to prayer here.)

New lawsuit filed by disassociated group

Supreme Court Decision and a Statement from Bishop Adams

A message of thanks from the Rev. Bill Redfield

Report from the 227th Diocesan Convention

Mediation update

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