AnglicanTV Interviews Bishop Mark Lawrence
45 minutes, here. And a good reminder to pray for the people of the Diocese of South Carolina.
Bishop Mark Lawrence speaks at reconvened South Carolina Convention
Bishop Mark Lawrence of South Carolina spoke at the reconvened 219th Diocese of South Carolina Convention.
He gave an update on the events of the last few months, and his rationale on keeping South Carolina within TEC.
Watch it at Anglican TV. (See also: 219th Diocesan Convention Reconvened.)
Bishop Mark Lawrence upholds the uniqueness of Christ
After last week’s visit of the TEC Presiding Bishop to the Diocese of South Carolina, video files from the clergy day have been released. They are available on YouTube.
In parts 1 and 2, Bishop Mark Lawrence graciously but clearly speaks of the problems many in his diocese have with the direction of the Episcopal Church. In part 4, he turns to Colossians chapter 1 and the absolute supremacy of the Lord Jesus. (The other files are no longer available.)
See stevewood.cc for links to the video files. (With thanks to Standfirm for the link.)
Audio files here.
‘New level of repression signalled by charges against Bishop Lawrence’
“The certification of abandonment by ECUSA’s new Disciplinary Board for Bishops, communicated to Bishop Mark Lawrence by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori on October 15, 2012 raises some very troubling questions. It also evidences a new degree of repression operative in ECUSA…”
– A S Haley, Anglican lawyer writing as The Anglican Curmudgeon, takes a close look at the latest moves against South Carolina.
Bishop Lawrence writes about Disciplinary Board Decision
“For now given no more allegations from anonymous sources within the diocese it is my hope we can all get back to focusing our full attention on proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit and to Glory of God the Father that the Church here in the Diocese of South Carolina may add daily to its number those who are being saved.…”
– Bishop of South Carolina, Mark Lawrence, writes to his diocese about the dropping of ‘Disciplinary proceedings’ against him.
Earlier: Allegations of ‘abandonment’ against Bishop of South Carolina
9Marks eJournal on the dangers of Liberalism
The latest 9Marks eJournal has been published online and is essential reading. Editor Jonathan Leeman writes –
“Michael Lawrence, Carl Trueman, Al Mohler, and Phil Johnson examine how liberalism happens and offer wise counsel for the academic and the pastor’s heart.
Greg Gilbert, Michael Ovey, Russell Moore, and I point to several specific areas where evangelicals appear to be walking on thin ice…
Greg Wills, Michael Horton, and Darryl Hart present notable lessons from history…”
– and there’s much more for your edification. It’s available from 9Marks. (We’ll highlight some key articles over the next few days.)
Bishop Lawrence: GAFCON is heir apparent
The Global Anglican Fellowship Conference (GAFCON) is the heir apparent to assume leadership of the Anglican Communion, said three bishops during an informal media briefing this afternoon at the Lambeth Conference.
Bishops Mark Lawrence of South Carolina and Keith Ackerman of Quincy were joined by Bishop Hector Zavala of Chile from the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone on the campus of the University of Kent, Canterbury, shortly before Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams was scheduled to deliver his final presidential address of the conference. …
– Report from The Living Church. (Photo: Bill Murton, Diocese of South Carolina.)
South Carolina Supreme Court issues final ruling on disputed churches
“Two of South Carolina’s oldest church buildings will not be returned to the Episcopal Church in the United States, but will stay with the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, a court has ruled. One other church will be returned to the Episcopal Diocese. …”
– Story from Church Times.
The photo of now-retired Bishop Mark Lawrence from 2010 gives an idea of how long this has been running. (Mostly) related posts.
In 2018 at GAFCON 3 in Jerusalem, Dominic Steele spoke with Dr Kendall Harmon about what was happening in South Carolina at the time. Starts 2:15 into this clip.
SC Supreme Court rules some breakaway churches must return properties to Episcopal Diocese
“The S.C. Supreme Court ruled some of the parishes that broke away from the Episcopal Church more than a decade ago must hand over their properties to the national church and its affiliated South Carolina diocese.
The court’s April 20 ruling orders 14 of 29 parishes that split from the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina to begin the legal process for handing over ownership of the properties to the Episcopal Church. …”
– From The Post and Courier, Charleston, South Carolina.
See also this Pastoral Letter from Bishop Chip Edgar of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina:
“The ruling raises many issues that will have to play out in the coming weeks before any actions are taken, so our first response must be to quiet our hearts before the Lord as we pray for grace to meet the days ahead. Some of our churches are relieved that the court ruled their property does indeed belong to them. Some are grieving deeply, as the courts ruling went the opposite direction.”
This has been a very long running dispute – and not all the websites linked in our archival posts are still active, but the post summaries will give some perspective.
Bishop Chip Edgar began as Bishop of the Diocese last month, succeeding Bishop Mark Lawrence who has been Bishop of the Diocese since 2008.
Update:
Lawyer AS Haley, The Anglican Curmudgeon, has posted what may be his last of many posts on the subject –
South Carolina Supreme Court Divides the Baby
His conclusion:
“There will be one final chapter to this desultory story once the federal courts dispose of the name and trademark claims, probably in ECUSA’s favor.
I shall not return here to comment; I am done with everything that involves the Episcopal Church. Let it reap what it has so assiduously sown.”
The Dennis Canon Dead in Texas
“With its denial of certiorari (review) this morning to two of the Episcopal Church in the USA’s (“ECUSA’s”) groups in Fort Worth, Texas, the United States Supreme Court has put to rest the multiple adverse claims made for the last twelve years against the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.
All of those various claims, and the stages of their ups and downs, have been chronicled on this blog, which began just before the legal disputes emerged.
It is gratifying, therefore, to report that this blog has managed to outlive, along with (retired) Bishop Jack Iker and his faithful flock, the Machiavellian intrigues of the schemers at 815 Second Avenue to hound and intimidate them into surrender of their properties…
The success in Texas leaves just one long-standing ECUSA dispute still festering: its pursuit of Bishop Mark Lawrence and his Diocese of South Carolina.”
– Read it all at The Anglican Curmudgeon, the blog of Christian lawyer A. S. Haley.
And much earlier, on our website …
Diocese of Fort Worth: Living with litigation – Fort Worth Bishop Jack Iker, September 2013.
“Living with litigation has become a way of life for us as members of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. For the past 4 ½ years, we have been under the cloud of a lawsuit brought against us by The Episcopal Church and its local supporters, seeking to deprive us of our buildings and assets.”
Also, most of these post are relevant to Fort Worth.
And on South Carolina, most of these posts are relevant.
Archbishop Welby, What will you do about it?
“I’m not fond of litigation. I take our witness to the world very seriously, and the damage to that witness from Christians suing each other is serious. And even though my former profession as a criminal prosecutor put me in the position of litigating daily in the courts, I would much prefer followers of Jesus Christ being able to follow 1 Corinthians 6 and work out their disagreements within the Church, through church or secular sponsored arbitration services and negotiated settlements.
I cannot, however, let the injustice pass that occurred in the oral arguments before the South Carolina Supreme Court, between the Diocese of South Carolina (Bishop Mark Lawrence) and The Episcopal Church (TEC.)…”
– The American Anglican Council’s Canon Phil Ashey is disturbed by the latest legal action in South Carolina, and wonders what the Archbishop of Canterbury will say to the TEC Presiding Bishop at the Primates’ gathering in January.
‘South Carolina Decision a full vindication for victims of ECUSA’s Oppression’
“Circuit Judge Diane S. Goodstein’s carefully crafted 46-page decision in the case brought by Bishop Mark Lawrence’s Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina (along with 35 of its parishes, plus St. Andrew’s, Mt. Pleasant) against the Episcopal Church (USA) and its rump group (ECSC, or “Episcopal Church in South Carolina”) is a complete vindication of the positions taken and arguments advanced for so long, by so many, inside and outside the Church. It is a vindication first, for the Right Reverend Mark Lawrence…”
– Christian lawyer A.S. Haley sums up the South Carolina decision.
See also this report from the Diocese of South Carolina. (Photo: Bishop Mark Lawrence.)
Global South oversight of South Carolina
Archbishop Mouneer Anis (Chairman), and Archbishop Ian Ernest (Hon. General Secretary) have written on behalf of the Global South Primates Steering Committee, to welcome Bishop Mark Lawrence and the Diocese of South Carolina to their pastoral oversight.
“The Global South of the Anglican Communion welcomes the unanimous request of The Rt. Rev. Mark Lawrence, XIV Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina, and the Convention of the Diocese of South Carolina to ‘accept the offer of the newly created Global South Primatial Oversight Council for pastoral oversight of our ministry as a diocese during the temporary period of our discernment of our final provincial affiliation.’
The decision of the Diocese of South Carolina was made in response to the meeting of the Global South Primates Steering Committee in Cairo, Egypt from 14-15 February 2014. A recommendation from that meeting stated that, ‘we decided to establish a Primatial Oversight Council, in following-through the recommendations taken at Dar es Salam in 2007, to provide pastoral and primatial oversight to dissenting individuals, parishes, and dioceses in order to keep them within the Communion.’
Recognizing the faithfulness of Bishop Mark Lawrence and the Diocese of South Carolina, and in appreciation for their contending for the faith once for all delivered to the saints, the Global South welcomes them as an active and faithful member within the Global South of the Anglican Communion, until such time as a permanent primatial affiliation can be found.”
Related: Local Anglicans receive new tie to the global church – Post and Courier.
Diocese of South Carolina ‘joins Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans’
“The Diocese of South Carolina has been formally recognized as a member in good standing of the Global Anglican Communion.
On Saturday, March 15, the Diocese’s 223rd Annual Convention unanimously accepted an invitation to join the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (GFCA) and temporarily enter into a formal ecclesiastical relationship known as provisional primatial oversight from bishops in the Global South. Read more
South Carolina moves to protect property from TEC ‘land grab’
“The Diocese of South Carolina, the Trustees of the Diocese and congregations representing the vast majority of its baptized members today filed suit in South Carolina Circuit Court against The Episcopal Church to protect the Diocese’s real and personal property and that of its parishes. …”
– from the Diocese of South Carolina.
(Image: Anglican TV.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…