Category: Reconciliation

Open Conversation Event Held in Beaufort

7/16/2019

Nearly 50 people from the Beaufort area joined Bishop Skip Adams and other members of the diocesan staff for an Open Conversation event on Thursday, July 11, at St. John's Lutheran Church on Lady's Island Drive.

Bishop Adams opened the event with prayer and and then shared good news about the continued growth of the Diocese. "Numbers aren't everything, but they are one outward sign of life," said Bishop Adams. He then turned the program over to the Rev. Bill Coyne, who took a few moments to discuss his work as Diocesan Missioner for Returning Congregations.

Once the floor was open to questions and comments, the attendees spent about 75 minutes asking questions and sharing their observations. It was a positive event, and the Diocese looks forward to hosting similar events in the future.

The Bishop also included in his remarks the Prayer of Teilhard de Chardin that he found especially relevant. The text of this prayer is included below.

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something
unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through
some stages of instability--
and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;
your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances
acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.

Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.
--Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955)

Open Conversation in Florence on March 17

2/25/2019

The Episcopal Church in South Carolina (TECSC) will host a public Open Conversation in Florence on Sunday, March 17 from 3:00-4:30 pm at Cross and Crown Lutheran Church, 3123 W Palmetto St, Florence, SC 29501.

TECSC is offering the Open Conversation to provide information, listen, and answer questions about the life and ministry of our diocese and faith communities.

Led by Bishop Skip Adams of TECSC, the Open Conversation will include other clergy and lay leaders, including Archdeacon Callie Walpole and the Rev. Bill Coyne, Diocesan Missioner for Returning Congregations.

The event is open to the public, and will be of special interest to people who attend Episcopal/Anglican churches in the region, including those affected by the 2017 state Supreme Court decision to return the property of the Diocese of South Carolina and 29 parishes to The Episcopal Church.

“We hope people will bring their questions and concerns to this Open Conversation,” said Fr. Coyne. “It’s an opportunity to engage with one another with an open heart as we walk the road toward reconciliation together.”

Information regarding the meetings is posted on the TECSC web page. For more information, view A Historical Timeline of the Episcopal Church in South Carolina and the Frequently Asked Questions.

'Parallel leaders' to meet March 2

1/22/2019

The Episcopal Church in South Carolina is inviting church leaders from several communities in our diocese to attend a gathering in Summerville on Saturday, March 2 as part of the planning for the return of 29 area churches to The Episcopal Church.

The meeting is designed specifically for "parallel leaders" those who serve congregations in areas where there are churches affected by an August 2017 state Supreme Court decision. The Episcopal congregations being invited to send parallel leaders to the meeting include Good Shepherd, Summerville; Messiah, Myrtle Beach; St. Francis, Charlestton; St. Catherine's, Florence; The Episcopal Church on Edisto; The East Cooper Episcopal Church in Mount Pleasant; and the Cheraw Episcopal Worship Group.

"These congregations are presently actively engaged in God's mission in communities where a congregation – people, property, and purpose – will be returning to TECSC," says the Rev. Bill Coyne, Missioner for Returning Congregations for the Diocese.

"This is an opportunity to share best practices, concerns, hopes and dreams, and next steps," Fr. Coyne says.

The goal of the diocese is for there to be no interruption in worship when the returning churches come back, Fr. Coyne says. Beginning on the very first Sunday, the doors will be open with an Episcopal priest leading worship.

At the Parallel Leaders' Meeting, each congregation will be asked to tell its story and share its journey of faithfulness since the split in the diocese occurred in 2012-13. Leaders also will talk about their plans for engaging with returning Episcopalians.

The meeting will take place at Church of the Good Shepherd, 119-B West Luke Ave., Summerville from 9:30 am-12:30 pm. To learn more about the meeting and register to participate, please contact Fr. Coyne at [email protected] or 843-614-0679.

Returning congregations invited to 228th Diocesan Convention November 16-17

9/25/2018

When the 228th Diocesan Convention of the Episcopal Church in South Carolina gathers November 16-17 in Charleston, "We want to practice hospitality and reconciliation at the deepest level," says the Rev. William Coyne, Missioner for Returning Congregations.

The Episcopal Church in South Carolina is inviting two representatives from each of the 29 returning congregations of the diocese to be guests at the annual gathering, which convenes at the Church of the Holy Communion in Charleston on Friday, November 16.

The special invitation is being extended to members of the 29 congregations affected by a 2017 court decision who wish to return to The Episcopal Church and remain in their church buildings, Fr. Coyne says.

To register, members of returning congregations should contact Fr. Coyne at [email protected] or (843) 614-0679. If more than two members wish to attend the Convention and the pre-convention workshops, they will be able to register as visitors. Visitor registration is open to the public, and all are welcome.

Although the implementation of the return of people and property has not yet been finalized by the state court, Fr. Coyne said, TECSC's desire to build bridges and reestablish healthy relationships is paramount.

"We hope people will join us at Convention and be recognized and thanked as we joyfully face the future together," he says.

Members of returning congregations also are welcome to attend the three Pre-Convention Deanery Meetings: October 6 in Port Royal, October 10 in Charleston, and October 14 in Myrtle Beach. Details are on the Convention Page. These meetings are the venue for learning about proposed programs and budget for 2019, nominees for diocesan offices, and proposed resolutions. No registration is required.

Open Conversations: An Invitation

7/5/2018

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The Episcopal Church in South Carolina is inviting everyone to attend three Open Conversations being held around the diocese on July 16, 17 and 18. Do you know someone who might be interested in attending? Click below to find a flyer (PDF file) that you can download, print, or email as an attachment.

TECSC Open Conversation Flyer

Each Open Conversation will be a listening and information session, a time to hear concerns and to engage in an open dialogue about the life and ministry of our diocese. Thanks to everyone who is helping to spread the word!

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A Word from the New Missioner

6/15/2018

I recently watched again the inspirational Ron Howard movie “Apollo 13” – the story of a crippled spacecraft with astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert finding a way to survive a malfunction and return to earth. Mission Control in Houston is working just as hard to bring them home. The mission changed from landing on the moon to getting the astronauts safely home. The malfunction demanded innovation, creativity and teamwork to accomplish the new mission. There was a sense of urgency.

Remember this scene?

Several technicians in Houston dump boxes containing the same equipment and tools that the astronauts have with them in space onto a table.

A technician says “We've got to find a way to make this [square CSM LiOH canister] fit into the hole for this [round LEM canister]... using nothing but that” [pointing to the stuff on the table].

The Church needs to realize the mission demands a similar response to a new environment – we need innovation, creativity and teamwork for reaching new people and forming new disciples for Jesus. We need to take risks, make mistakes and ‘double down’ on our core mission.

At the end of the movie Jim Lovell (the voice of Tom Hanks) narrates the following: Our mission was called "a successful failure," in that we returned safely but never made it to the moon.

The Church needs similar ‘successful’ or ‘excellent’ failures – we try some new things to enlarge the Kingdom, plant new seeds of faith and hope in a malfunctioning world – and trust the results will bring us all… ALL – Home. This is the type of work we will do to welcome people, parishes and property returning to the Mission of The Episcopal Church.

The Rev. William Coyne
Missioner for Returning Congregations

[email protected] | 843-614-0679

Bishop appoints new Missioner for Returning Congregations

6/15/2018

The Rev. William Coyne

Bishop Skip Adams has appointed the Rev. William Coyne as the new Missioner for Returning Congregations for The Episcopal Church in South Carolina, a new diocesan staff position created to assist parishes and missions that are returning to The Episcopal Church.

“This new ministry is a way for our diocese to manifest good care of God’s people, live out our Diocesan Vision, and always seek the goals of reconciliation and unity in Christ during this important time of transition,” Bishop Adams said.

As Missioner, Fr. Coyne will report directly to the Bishop, while developing teams and support systems around the diocese for the successful return of churches to The Episcopal Church in South Carolina (TECSC), which is the diocese of The Episcopal Church in eastern South Carolina.

“Bill Coyne brings great gifts to this position, both in his education and abilities and in his many years of experience at the parish and diocesan levels,” the Bishop said. “His passion for congregational vitality and service to God’s people will be a great blessing to everyone who will be working with him in the months ahead.”

“What does a 21st-century mission-focused congregation look like in the Episcopal Church in South Carolina?” Fr. Coyne said. “That is my priority question as we begin this transition time together.”

Read ‘A Word from the New Missioner’ here

At least 28 parishes in the region are returning to TECSC under a South Carolina Supreme Court ruling in August 2017 in a lawsuit filed by a breakaway group. Prior to 2012, all the parishes were operating as Episcopal churches in the then-unified Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina.

The transition moved into a new phase on Monday, when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the decision. The 1st Circuit Court of Common Pleas is now responsible for implementing the final ruling, a process which may take several months.

Fr. Coyne will be the chief diocesan contact person for every returning parish and mission, meeting with their leaders and identifying what is needed for an orderly return to TECSC. He also will help them with assessing their clergy and staff needs, determining their financial position, and setting up their governance and bylaws in accordance with church law.
One initial goal is for every congregation to be able to continue to worship on Sunday mornings without interruption through the transition period.

Fr. Coyne has served in TECSC since August 2015, when he was called as Interim Rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Charleston. He led that parish for two years through their successful call of a new rector last summer. In August 2017 he was named priest-in-charge of The East Cooper Episcopal Church, and will continue in that role alongside his new responsibilities.

Before coming to Charleston, he served for 15 years as Archdeacon of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, where he was responsible for congregational development for 65 congregations. After retiring from that ministry in 2013, Fr. Coyne served in two interim positions in Western Massachusetts before he and his wife Janet moved to Charleston. The Coynes have three grown children and five grandchildren.

Fr. Coyne can be reached at [email protected] or 843-614-0679.

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