Dear St. James Santee Family and Friends,
By now you
may have seen newspaper headlines and received emails from the Diocese about
what is happening with Bishop Lawrence.
Below is an attempt to shed a little light on a complex situation. My “editorial” comments are in italics.
The Bishop:
1. Un-named persons (two
clergy and twelve lay) in the diocese have accused Bishop Lawrence of
“Abandonment of Communion.” This means
that they believe he has departed from the Doctrine, Discipline and Worship of
the Episcopal Church. Usually,
this is the charge when a Bishop has departed the Episcopal Church and joined
another denomination which has not happened in his case.
2. A committee of TEC
(the national church) has agreed with their accusations and formally charged
him.
3. The Presiding
Bishop has issued an order that he not be allowed to function at the present
time as a Bishop, Priest or Deacon in the Episcopal Church. The
charges against the Bishop will be
“tried” in an Ecclesiastical Court at some point. The date is not known at present.
The Diocese:
1. The Standing
Committee (like the Vestry or a governing board) of the Diocese had put into
place two resolutions which would “trigger” action if the National Church did
move against Bishop Lawrence. The first
resolution disassociates the Diocese of SC from the National Church, and the
second calls for a special convention which will be held on Nov. 17th.
At this
point, it is unclear to me what the practical implications of all these actions
may be for St. James Santee. Personally, I continue to have great affection and
respect for Bishop Lawrence and hope that a way can be found for him to
continue serving as the Fourteenth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of SC. The
clergy of the diocese will gather tomorrow, and I will be glad to make a report
to you on Sunday. Until we have more
information, I would encourage you to be calm, prayerful, and to continue in
the worship and servanthood ministries of St. James Santee Episcopal Church.
Your sister in Christ,
Jennie+
PS. For more information and relevant documents,
please see the Diocesan website at
