Bishop Lawrence’s Address to the 222nd Convention of the Diocese of South Carolina

from Stand Firm by Sarah

From the Diocese of South Carolina website, and from the posting-queue that should have been posted long-ago—maybe Bishop Lawrence and the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina could do some missionary work up here in the Upstate?
Just hoping . . .

At our convention last March I stressed two dimensions of our diocesan calling:  Our vocation to make Biblical Anglicans for a Global Age working in relationship with Anglican Provinces and dioceses around the world; and secondly our calling to make disciples by planting new congregations as well as growing and strengthening our existing parishes and missions in an era of sweeping institutional decline among almost all of the mainline denominations. These remain two constants for us today even while so much around us is in flux. You will be relieved to hear that it is not my intention in this address to retrace the road we have traveled in these intervening months since our Special Convention on November 17th. Suffice it to say that since these two dimensions of our common life and vocation remained unshaken when the tectonic plates of the diocese shifted, I remain convinced that they were God’s mandate for us then and they are God’s mandate for us now. The reason for this is two-fold:  What is at stake in this theological and moral crisis that has swallowed up the Anglican Communion since the latter years of the 20th Century is first and foremost, “What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ as this Church has received it?” We did not create it and we cannot change what we have received. So what is the Gospel of Jesus Christ as Anglicans have received it? There is nothing in Anglicanism that cannot be found elsewhere among the churches of Christendom. What is unique is how we have blended certain aspects of what other churches hold together. But we have received a Gospel. What is it? 

The second thing is “What will Anglicanism in the 21st Century look like?”  While the former is the more important, the latter is the more complex. Put another way, proclaiming the Good News, “the whole counsel of God” as St. Paul declared in his parting address to the presbyters of Ephesus in Acts 20:27, that should be our first concern. Proclaiming the good news – the whole counsel of God. But the charge to “care for the Church of God, which he obtained with his blood” (Acts 20:28) or as our text last evening put it, “which he obtained with the blood of his son.” was also part of St. Paul’s charge to the bishop-presbyters. If we apply this second charge to take care of the church of God, which he obtained, with the blood of his son, if we apply this charge to ourselves – those of us whose leadership is in this vineyard where the Lord has placed us – I believe this means caring for emerging Anglicanism in the 21st Century. Frankly, this caring for Anglicanism in the 21st century gets wearisome at times, painful almost daily, exhausting, but it is a charge we cannot relinquish without abandoning our vocation. What does this mean specifically for us here in this Diocese of South Carolina?  Let me take up three aspects of this charge as it I believe it applies to us.

Nurturing our Common Life

 First, we need to take care to nurture our common life. You cannot proclaim the good news the whole counsel of God without caring for the church of God which God has purchased with the blood of his Son.

The risen Christ spoke to the church in Sardis in the book of Revelation and said,
“…Strengthen what remains….”  Revelation 3:2

There are forces working to divide us as a diocese. Some of those forces are from without and some of those forces are from within. There may well be a temptation for each congregation to focus on its own needs and its own survival. How easy it would be to become just a conglomeration of churches. We might even cast a sidelong glance at one another wondering if their sacrifices match ours. Do you remember when Jesus told St. Peter those troubling words, there by the sea of Galilee, “…when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not wish to go.”  (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.)  Well remember Peter, on hearing this, saw John, the beloved disciple, and asked Jesus, “Lord what about this man?”  The Lord replied, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”  Let us remember we have all paid a price to be here today. Every single person in this auditorium who is part of the Diocese of South Carolina has paid a price to be here. So we need to remember the only cross we’ve been told to pick up is the cross that is ours.

Let us not grouse or chafe thinking that our neighbor’s cross seems lighter than ours; rather let us remember, while carrying our own cross we have been taught to bear one another’s burdens. Look around not at ways to judge one another but for ways to ease the burden, nurturing our common life.

• CONGREGATIONS OF THE DIOCESE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AFTER THE DISSOCIATION

So how have things aligned in the Diocese?  At this time most of the parishes and missions have made decisions regarding their affiliation. Less than a month after the disassociation we were in a clergy conference and one clergyman rose to ask me a question. He said, “Bishop, how many are going to be with us and how many are going to be with The Episcopal Church?”  And I said, “It’s all in a state of flux, but I would guess probably 50 with us and 20 with them.” At last count Canon Lewis, has listed 35 parishes and 13 missions with us making 80 % of the diocesan membership ostensibly with us in the Diocese of South Carolina. Those re-affiliating with TEC are 10 parishes and 9 missions making up 18 % of the diocesan membership. Those still officially undecided include 1 Parish and 4 mission congregations thus amounting to slightly less than 2 %. But there are still some realigning of parishioners to and fro various congregations. This final sorting may take some time. So let patience and charity prevail as we continue to walk through what is for many a time of sadness and separation. One of the things that has struck me as I’ve gone throughout the Diocese to speak to large deanery gatherings and small intimate gatherings— whether it be at Ascension, Hagood; Advent, Marion; Christ Church, Quinby;  small places or large places—is their struggle and pain. It enables me as a Bishop to understand your hearts, your struggles as people, as deacons as priests of the church. But now with all but a few of the parishes and missions having aligned it is time to assess where and how we will need to link smaller congregations with larger ones to make it through this time of transition. And I propose the Easter season will be the time for the Task Force on Congregational Partnerships to begin its work. Let us know your needs and let us know your resources.

• WORSHIPING FELLOWSHIPS OR CONGREGATIONAL RESTARTS

We presently have three places where there are parishioners who wish to remain with us and where their congregation or priest has chosen to re-affiliate with TEC. It has been my counsel that they not attempt to undermine or undo what the chosen leadership of that congregation has done. I can’t say that that has always been reciprocated by those who have chosen to re-affiliate away from us. Nevertheless, we press on. I have assured those who seek to remain in the Diocese of South Carolina that we will work with them as seems most appropriate. In at least two instances there are significant numbers of very active persons who are considering planting new congregations. Let me acknowledge first the fellowship in North Charleston. There are eight former members of St. Thomas, North Charleston that are with us at this Convention. Will you please stand? They are part of a larger group which meets in a community center. Fr. Matthew McCormick, a priest at St. Philips, Charleston, has been assisting them throughout the month of February and will be with them again tomorrow morning. I believe they move from the Community Center very soon to Water Mission International facility. I have been concerned for some time that we were not reaching the North Charleston community in any significant way—at least given the new growth in that area. This group of parishioners may yet be the nucleus of a significant church plant or at least congregational restart in North Charleston. The other community we are prayerfully considering a church plant or restart is in North Myrtle Beach. There are 3 former members from St. Stephen’s, North Myrtle Beach who are with us today as well. Will you please stand?

Welcome! I have been working with the Rev. Iain Boyd, Rector of Trinity, Myrtle Beach and the Rev. Linda Manual to pastor and prayerfully think through along with these fine people the possibility of a restart or a church plant in North Myrtle Beach. I will be meeting with them for a second time early next week. Let it be known these worshipping fellowships are not meeting under the name or guise of their former congregation. They do not seek to mount a siege to takeover a congregation that has decided to align with The Episcopal Church. No, this is a new day and a new congregation needs to meet a new opportunity. May God anoint them with his Holy Spirit to see the fields ripe for harvest around them.