Allegations of ‘abandonment’ against Bishop of South Carolina

Posted on October 6, 2011 
Filed under Anglican Communion

Some action by the Episcopal Church against the Diocese of South Carolina has long been expected. Here’s a report from the Episcopal News Service.

The Bishop and Standing Committee of the diocese have sent this call to prayer –

October 5, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Thursday, September 29, 2011 the Bishop received communication from the President of the Disciplinary Board for Bishops that “serious charges” have been made under Title IV of the canons of The Episcopal Church. These are allegations that he has abandoned The Episcopal Church. Since several of these allegations also include actions taken by the Convention of the Diocese of South Carolina, after sustained prayer and discernment, it has seemed appropriate to both the Bishop and the Standing Committee to make these allegations available to the members of the Diocese. These allegations may be found on the Diocesan website…here.

Subsequently, the President of our Standing Committee, the Very Reverend Paul C. Fuener, received a letter from the Church Attorney assisting the Disciplinary Board seeking “Records maintained by the Standing Committee of the Diocese of South Carolina.” This letter may be found on our diocesan website…here.

In order to understand the possible implications and to engage in corporate prayer for the diocese, I, as bishop, have called a meeting of all our active and canonically resident clergy for this coming Tuesday, October 11, 2011 from 10:00 —12:00 noon at the Ministry Center of St. James Episcopal Church, James Island.

Rest assured we will do all in our power to defend gospel truth and catholic order. We and the members of our Standing Committee ask your prayers for God’s guidance and wisdom.
Yours in Christ,

The Right Reverend Mark J. Lawrence
XIV Bishop of South Carolina

The Very Reverend Paul C. Fuener
President of the Standing Committee

Source: Diocese of South Carolina. Related ACL posts.

A.S. Haley, the Anglican Curmudgeon, comments:

“To anyone who still cares about what was once a fine old and traditional church, I will say only this: what the present leadership of the Episcopal Church (USA) is sowing, so shall they also reap. To invade one of its existing Dioceses in a bid to overthrow its diocesan officers, its infrastructure and its stalwart Christian supporters is utter madness. It will produce only an orgy of self-destruction, from which the Church herself cannot emerge intact.

South Carolina was one of the seven original dioceses that created the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in 1789…”

– Episcopal Church Foments Strife and Civil War.

(Photo: Diocese of South Carolina.)