Strategic Visioning Mission & Vision Statements

After reviewing and analyzing the many comments coming out of those sessions, the Strategic Visioning team proceeded by developing new mission and vision statements which the team would use to guide them in discerning our goals. A small sub-team met over the course of a few weeks to craft the statements, and the visioning team came to consensus on the following: 
Mission
Through the liberating Gospel of Jesus, we are seeking justice, spreading Christ’s love, and walking humbly with our God.
 
Through the liberating Gospel of Jesus,
We are formed around the Good News of Jesus Christ through shared worship and Christian formation.
 
We are seeking justice,
This is an important way that we live out our Baptismal vow.
 
Spreading Christ’s love,
We go out into our neighborhoods and wider communities to build relationships and serve.
 
And walking humbly with our God.
We do this work together, learning from and supporting each other.
Vision

​The Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina:
Beloved Community for All
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. popularized the term “Beloved Community” as the end goal for his movement’s work on racial justice and reconciliation. In 2017, The Episcopal Church, led by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, launched a new strategic vision: “Becoming Beloved Community: The Episcopal Church’s Long-term Commitment to Racial Healing, Reconciliation, and Justice.” As The Episcopal Church here in South Carolina, we are uplifting that shared value of embracing everyone. We all share in God’s love, mercy, and grace—no exceptions!—and this is what we are working toward, to make this a reality in our time and place.

Strategic Visioning Plan Shared at Diocesan Convention

Review the plan at this link.
Taking the priorities coming out of the listening sessions, the Strategic Visioning Team formed two working groups with 22 people from across the Diocese to address those areas by developing goals and initiatives. The deans and the staff in the Office of the Bishop provided helpful feedback as the team worked through each phase. Through this collaborative effort, this vision represents a building of consensus from the many voices that represent the diversity of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina that empowers lay people while utilizing the current deanery structure.

For each initiative, recommendations include:
  • The entities within the Diocese that are responsible for each initiative
  • Suggested metrics to measure implementation and effectiveness
  • A timeline with priorities for implementation and estimated costs

The team hopes that the members of the Diocese, and leaders in particular, find these recommendations useful and inspiring. There will be a continued partnership between diocesan leadership and the rest of our members over the next couple of years to make this vision a reality, and feedback is always welcomed about the recommendations and suggestions for implementation.

This plan is a living document. That is, as this initial work begins to take shape and bear fruit, this plan represents a starting point for ongoing and substantive discernment about how we work together to become Beloved Community here and now.

Quick Links

Listening Sessions
Visioning Team Members
​Introductory Video
Strategic Visioning Plan

Strategic Visioning Process

Team members from the two working groups tasked with developing goals and initiatives for the plan, shared their thoughts on the process in this video that was shared at our 233rd Diocesan Convention in November 2023.

Introducing Strategic Visioning 2023

Earlier this year, Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley called on a group of leaders from around the Diocese of South Carolina to begin a strategic visioning process that will allow us to develop a clear vision, mission and set of goals for the next chapter of our life together.

A great deal of preparation has gone into this work already. We have secured a consultant to assist in this process, Ms. Katie Ong. We have assembled the Visioning Team and named its co-leaders, Ms. Ray Sabalis and Ms. Deb Harris. And we have established a timeline for our process.

We are now entering the phase in which we hope to receive as much input as we can from members of the Diocese about our common hopes, dreams, and plans for the future. We will be conducting Listening Sessions on Zoom so that the Visioning Team can hear from you. The schedule of Listening Sessions and the Zoom link is further down this page.

After the Strategic Vision is drafted and reviewed by key leadership bodies, we plan to present it for adoption at the 233rd Convention of the Diocese, November 2-4, 2023.

Introductory Video

Listening Sessions

Strategic Visioning 2023 in the Diocese of South Carolina
*All Listening Sessions and other meetings about the Strategic Visioning process are available at this Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89941630607*

Please plan to attend at least one of the following Listening Sessions. Members of the Visioning Team will facilitate these sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings on Zoom, in which you are invited to share your own perspective on God's call for us as the Diocese of South Carolina.

Each Deanery will have its own listening session. There will be additional listening sessions for several important affinity groups. Anyone with an interest in the special sessions is invited to attend, whether or not you belong to a pre-existing committee or formal group. We hope this plan will allow us to see the breadth and diversity of perspectives in our Diocese, and to produce a Vision that can encompass and define our shared priorities.

Scheduled Listening Sessions

Tuesday, May 2 at 7 pm
Returning Congregations

Thursday, May 4 at 7 pm: 
Congregations not returning to historic properties

Tuesday, May 9 at 7 pm: 
Historically marginalized congregations, African-American congregations, Racial Justice Commission

Thursday, May 11 at 7 pm:
Women’s affinity group, LGBTQ+ affinity group

Thursday, May 18 at 7 pm:
Pee Dee-Waccamaw Deanery

Thursday, May 25 at 7 pm:
Peninsula Deanery

Tuesday, May 30 at 7 pm:
West Charleston Deanery

Thursday, June 1 at 7 pm:
Southern Deanery

Tuesday, June 6 at 7 pm:
St. Christopher, Creation Care

​Thursday, June 8 at 7 pm:
Make-up Session

Visioning Team

The Visioning Team is composed of 12 lay members of the Diocese, led by Ms. Deb Harris and Ms. Ray Sabalis.

Co-Leaders
  • Deb Harris, Holy Cross Faith Memorial, Pawleys Island
  • Ray Sabalis, Christ Church, Denmark

Members
  • Thaddeus Daise, The Episcopal Church on Edisto
  • Carol Davis, St. George's, Summerville
  • Barney Forsythe, St. Mark's, Port Royal
  • Charles Geer, Holy Communion, Charleston
  • Shawan Gillians, St. Mark's Charleston
  • Kathleen Hearn, St. Anne's, Conway
  • Mildred Keith, Epiphany, Summerville
  • Elsa McDowell, Grace Church Cathedral, Charleston
  • Ruby West, Holy Cross Faith Memorial, Pawleys Island
  • Julie Zeccola, All Saints, Hilton Head

Consultant
  • Ms. Katie Ong, Episcopal Diocese of Ohio

Staff Liaison, Office of the Bishop
  • The Rev. Canon Ryan Currie

Other Information

Regular updates will be posted here and shared occasionally in the Diocesan Newsletter.

You may reach out to us with questions by email at [email protected].