Breaking News: South Carolina Diocean Bishop Mark Lawrence targeted by 815 for "abandoning" The Episcopal Church

from BabyBlueOnline by BabyBlue

Bishop Mark Lawrence

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

As The Episcopal Church descends into organizational chaos, the 815 leadership searches for a scapegoat to take the laity's mind off the little dustup. At the last House of Bishop's meeting in South America (no kidding), the former bishop of Lexington and now COO at 815 Stacy Sauls took a major PR stumble when he made a presentation to the House of Bishops calling for a Constitutional Convention before Bishop Schori leaves her post in 2015. It was met from a rather fascinating coalition of outcries by Episcopal Church social justice activists and institutionalists alike. So as that outrage has been heating up in recent weeks, what do the powers that be have to do to respond but to return to the old playbook of bread and circuses.

Presiding Bishop Schori

Call the litigators! Call the minions! Wake up the President of the Disciplinary Board for Bishops! Got to turn the spotlight off the 815 infighting - so what to do? Wait - let's go after Mark Lawrence! Yeah, that's it! South Carolina boo hoo hoo! Okay, call in the usual suspects, have them file the usual papers and line up the usual complaints and get the Executive Board (who is not so very happy about Bishop Saul's going down to South America to chat up the House of Bishops before talking to them) all riled up again for the debut of TITLE IV RETURNS! Whoo hooo!!

It may be interesting to know that Mark Lawrence is a big time Bob Dylan fan. The last time I saw Bishop Lawrence we were all part of a group singing tunes from Dylan's Modern Times album while in Canterbury, the dust of Lambeth 2008 only just beginning to settle. The Dylan tunes will come in handy - that's one guy who knows what's it's like to get booed for telling the truth.

From here:

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 a.m. —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