The Church of England first planted the Gospel among the palmettos in the early 1660s. When the early settlers came ashore, they brought with them the King James Bible in one hand and the slightly revised Elizabethan Book of Common Prayer in the other. At that time the benchmark 1662 revision of the 1604 Book of Common Prayer had yet to be published.

The earliest parishes established by the Church of England under the South Carolina Colonial Assembly Church Act of 1706 included: Old St. Andrew, Charles Town (1706); St. James, Santee (1706); St. James, Goose Creek (1706); St. Paul, Stono (1706); St. Bartholomew, Ashepoo (1706); St. Philip, Charles Town Neck (1706); Christ Church Parish, Mt. Pleasant (1706); St. Thomas, Berkely (1706); St. Denis-Huguenot, Cooper River (1706); and St. James, Berkely (1708).

The early roots of St Philip's colonial congregation go back to 1681 when early American Anglicanism — before the Revolutionary War — was getting a foothold in colonial communities. Today, more than three hundred years later, active colonial-era Episcopal and Anglican congregations are still peppered throughout the former British colonies including: St. John’s, Hampton, VA, (1610); St. James-Wambaw, McClellanville, SC (1687);Old St. Paul’s, Baltimore, MD, (1692); Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA (1695); St. Thomas Church, Bath, NC (1696); Trinity Church-Wall Street, New York City, NY (1697); St. Peter’s, Perth Amboy, NJ (1698); Trinity Church, Newport, RI; (1698); Old North Church, Boston, MA (1722); St. Peter’s Church, Lewes, DE (1708); St. James Church, New London, CT (1725); Christ Church, Savannah, GA (1733); and Union Church, Claremont, NH (1771). Also St. Paul’s Rock Creek Parish in present-day Washington, DC dates to 1712.

Other South Carolina colonial district Anglican parishes included: St. Helena-Beaufort (1712); St. George-Dorchester (1717); Prince George-Winyah (1721); Strawberry Chapel-Childsbury (1725); St. John-Colleton (1730); Prince Frederick-Georgetown (1734); Redeemer-Orangeburg (1739); St. Mark-Santee (1740); Prince William-Beaufort (1745); St. Peter-Beaufort (1747); St. Michael-Charles Town (1751); St. Stephen-Charles Town (1754); All Saints-Georgetown (1767); St. Luke-Beaufort (1767); St. Matthew-Orangeburg (1768); and St. David-Cheraws (1768).

Many colonial South Carolina congregations are no longer in existence. Other congregations were combined to create new parishes. South Carolina parishes with historic colonial roots include: St. Helena, Beaufort; Old St. Andrew, Charleston; Christ Church, Mount Pleasant; St. Michael, Charleston; St. Philip, Charleston; St. David, Cheraw; Redeemer, Orangeburg; Prince George-Winyah, Georgetown; St. Luke, Hilton Head Island; and St. John, St. John's Island. Christ-St. Paul, Yonges Island; Holy Cross, Stateburg; and St. Matthew, Fort Motte.

South Carolina also has some of the oldest church buildings still standing. These hallowed edifices have weathered hurricanes – Hazel (1954) and Hugo (1989); and bloody wars – the Yemassee Indian War (1715-1717); Revolutionary War (1775–1783); and the Civil War (1861-1865). The list of historic Palmetto State houses of worship includes the oldest church buildings in South Carolina – Old St. Andrews in Charleston (1706); also TEC St. James Church, Goose Creek (1708); John's Island Presbyterian, Charleston (1719); Strawberry Chapel, Childsbury (1725); Christ Church, Mount Pleasant (1726); Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue, Charleston (1740); Prince George-Winyah, Georgetown (1750); St. Michael, Charleston (1761); Pompion Hill Chapel, Huger (1763); (TEC) St. Stephen, St. Stephen (1767); TEC St. James-Wambaw, McClellanville (1768);St. James, Georgetown (1768); and Unitarian Church, Charleston (1772).

Anglicanism came to the New World with the British colonists. Until the Revolutionary War, the budding colonial "established" Church of England was supported and served by the Bishop of London and his English clergy. In 1649 the English Parliament chartered the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in New England to encourage and support missionary activity in the new colonies. At the turn of the 18th century, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts was charted by King William II with an eye providing for the spiritual needs of the New World and promoting evangelization.

When the American Revolution started, the colonial churches became politically divided — Patriots, Conciliators, and Loyalists. Some clergy and laity were loyal to the Crown while others were just as passionate for the American cause. Still others were trying to broker a middle way. The Anglicans became a house divided. It even became an act of treason to publically pray for King George III and British Parliament. Many Founding Fathers, including signers of the Declaration of Independence, considered themselves Anglicans — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, Samuel Chase and John and Edward Rutledge from South Carolina.

As a result of the Revolutionary War, the Church of England was disestablished and basically decimated. The moniker "Episcopal" or "Episcopalian" was beginning to be used to identify American Anglicanism and the members. A reorganization of the church was needed in the post Revolution era for Anglicanism to survive in postcolonial America without strong spiritual, political and financial ties to the Church of England. Many Anglican congregations died with the war. The Anglicans who remained in each former colony struggled. They needed unity, direction, and a bishop.

The bedraggled American church needed to draft a constitution and develop canons; the English Book of Common Prayer needed to be revised to meet the needs of the emerging American church; and a line of Apostolic Succession was needed to insure proper episcopal oversight and the continuation of Sacraments without having to travel to the British Isles for consecration or swear allegiance to the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

As Episcopalians in former colonies were attempting to secure bishops, one by one new Episcopal dioceses were being formed, but without a bishop to lead them. The earliest post war diocese to be founded was Maryland in 1780 followed by Massachusetts and Pennsylvania in 1784. Then in 1785 the dioceses of Connecticut, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey and South Carolina were established. The final original Episcopal diocese to be created was New York in 1787. In 1789 these nine founding Episcopal dioceses formed General Convention to bring a common unity to the American church. The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America was officially birthed. However, the problem was still a lack of bishops. An American line of Apostolic Succession had yet to be established.

In 1783, Samuel Seabury was elected the first bishop of Connecticut. He set sail for England to be duly consecrated. The fly in the ointment came when he realized, as an American citizen, he could not pledge his loyalty to the Supreme Governor of the Church of England who is the reigning monarch. He headed to Scotland where Robert Kilgour, the IX Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, consecrated him, making Seabury the first American Episcopal bishop.

In 1787 William White (I Pennsylvania) and Samuel Provost (I New York) were sent to overseas to be consecrated bishops. By then the Church of England had amended its rules so that episcopal consecrations could take place for the growing network of Anglican churches outside England without having to swear alliance to the Crown. John Moore, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and William Markham, the Archbishop of York, consecrated the American Episcopalians. James Madison (I Virginia) was the last early American bishop to trek to England for consecration. His consecration insured that Apostolic Secession was unquestionably established in the New World with entwining both Scottish and British Anglican roots.

The first Episcopal bishop to be consecrated in the United States of America was Thomas John Clagett (I Maryland). His consecrators were Seabury, White and Provoost, all of whom served as early Presiding Bishops. Madison also laid hands on Clagett during the consecration ceremony. In 1792 Apostolic Secession in America was firmly in place and functioning. The sixth American bishop to be consecrated was also the first Bishop of South Carolina -- Robert Smith. His consecrators were Seabury, Provoost and Madison.

In 1757, at the tender age of 25, Smith became the assistant rector of St. Philip in present-day Charleston, an historic church whose early spiritual roots date back to 1680. During the Revolutionary War, he was exiled but returned as St. Philip's rector in 1785. A decade later, he became South Carolina's first bishop. The early bishop was also involved in founding the College of Charleston. He signed its charter and served as its first president.

Mark Lawrence (XIV South Carolina) is Bishop Smith's direct episcopal descendent and is the 1025th Episcopal bishop to be consecrated in the American line of secession. Bishop Lawrence's episcopal lineage that dates back to Bishop White — who consecrated the first Bishop of South Carolina — goes through #922 Bishop Clifton Daniel (VIII East Carolina); #630 Edmond Browning (XXIV Presiding Bishop); #461John Hines (XXII Presiding Bishop); #258 Henry Tucker (IXX Presiding Bishop); #167 John McKim (Missionary Bishop of North Tokyo); #91 Abram Littlejohn (I Long Island); #62 Horatio Potter (VI New York); #19 Thomas Brownell (III Connecticut); and #2 William White (I & IV Presiding Bishop). Bishop Smith was the first bishop for whom Presiding Bishop White was the primary consecrator.

As the presiding bishop, White was also the primary consecrator of 25 other Episcopal bishops. His final consecration in 1835 was when he laid hands on the first Episcopal missionary bishop Jackson Kemper of Nashotah House fame. White was also co-consecrator of Bishop Thomas John Clagett (I Maryland) who was the first Episcopal bishop to be consecrated on American soil.

Today, the Diocese of South Carolina, under Bishop Lawrence’s jurisdiction, has 54 houses of worship that span 24 South Carolina Lowcountry counties. He also has 23,500 souls under his protective spiritual mantle. The battle Bishop Lawrence is engaged is on twin fronts: spiritual — for the soul of the Diocese; and earthly — for the temporal assets of the Diocese. This battle is to insure he can still engage in spiritual warfare and to continue to proclaim the unvarnished Apostolic Faith once delivered unto the Saints unimpeded by interference and legal entanglements in the lowlands of the Palmetto State.

The Diocese of South Carolina churches that are battling for temporal assets, including their historic buildings, and asking the South Carolina First Judicial Circuit Court that their properties' integrity be left intact, include: All Saints, Florence; Christ-St. Paul’s, Yonge’s Island; Christ the King-Waccamaw, Pawleys Island; St. Andrew’s, Mount Pleasant; Epiphany, Eutawville; St. Luke, Hilton Head Island; St. Luke & St. Paul Cathedral, Charleston; Holy Comforter, Sumter; Resurrection, Surfside; Redeemer, Orangeburg; St. John’s, Florence; Trinity, Pinopolis; St. David’s, Cheraw; St. Helena, Beaufort; St. Bartholomew’s, Hartsville; Trinity, Myrtle Beach; St. Matthew’s, Darlington; St. James, James Island; Holy Cross, Stateburg; St. Paul’s, Bennettsville; St. Jude’s, Walterboro; Good Shepherd, Charleston; Our Saviour, John’s Island; St. Matthew’s, Fort Motte; St. Michael’s, Charleston; St. Matthias, Summerton; Prince George-Winyah, Georgetown; St. Paul’s, Summerville; St. Paul’s, Conway; Church of The Cross, Bluffton; Holy Trinity, Charleston; Trinity, Edisto; St. John’s, John’s Island; Old St. Andrew’s, Charleston; Christ Church, Mount Pleasant; and St. Philip’s, Charleston.

Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline