Chancellor to Retire After Decades of Faithful Service

Thomas S. Tisdale, Jr., who has served the Diocese of South Carolina under five bishops, is retiring from his role as chancellor. He will continue to remain available as outside counsel on all legal matters with which he has been involved to date. Responding to the announcement, Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley offered gratitude for the chancellor’s selfless service, “Tom has been an outstanding servant of our Lord and of this diocese for five decades," said Bishop Woodliff-Stanley. "His vision, experience, and determination have been instrumental in building our capacity to continue being the Church under the most trying of circumstances. In this first year of my ministry, Tom has been a trusted advisor to me. By his gentle humor, sound counsel, and gracious demeanor, he welcomed me into the diocese. I am forever grateful to him. Tom’s tireless and highly effective efforts and his deep knowledge and love of The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of South Carolina have made it possible for our Episcopal faith to grow and flourish in this area of the state. He has given much of his life to ensure our future.”

Tisdale was first called to serve as chancellor in 1971 by the Rt. Rev. Gray Temple, and through the decades he has continued to serve the diocese faithfully when called upon, most recently leading our diocese through the difficult days of the schism that began in 2012. His legal experience and knowledge, along with his faithfulness to The Episcopal Church, has proved invaluable. The Chancellor also guided the diocese through the election of its fifteenth bishop, despite lengthy delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “It has been a joy to work with Tom over this past year, and I only wish our time working together would continue, but I understand his desire to step back at this time,” said Bishop Woodliff-Stanley.

Plans are now underway to honor Chancellor Tisdale for his loyal service to the Diocese of South Carolina at the 232nd Diocesan Convention in November. As he steps back from this role, Mr. Bert “Skip” Utsey has agreed to serve as Acting Chancellor. Utsey has worked with the Chancellor on the diocese’s legal team for the last few years, most recently representing the diocese before the South Carolina Supreme Court in December 2021.

“I am so grateful that Skip Utsey has graciously agreed to step into this role as Acting Chancellor at this time, and I look forward to continuing to work with him in the future,” said Bishop Woodliff-Stanley. “He has been an integral part of the legal team these past few years. His in-depth knowledge of our diocese and all current legal issues will be very helpful during this time of transition. I am also thankful that Tom will remain available to assist Skip and our legal team as outside counsel moving forward.”

The changes are effective immediately, and plans to honor Chancellor Tisdale at the Diocesan Convention November 18-19, 2022, will be announced in the coming months.

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