SOUTH CAROLINA: Bishop's Address Leaves Clergy Bewildered as to Diocese' Future
Lawrence Proposes Withdrawing from TEC Governing Bodies

News Analysis

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
August 14, 2009

CHARLESTON, SC-- Clergy, attending a special meeting of the Diocese of South Carolina this week, heard Bishop Mark Lawrence say that the diocese needs to distance itself from the governing bodies of The Episcopal Church. He then held out an exit card to parishes wanting to leave the diocese for safer more orthodox ecclesiastical pastures.

Lawrence advocated withdrawing as a diocese from "all bodies of governance of TEC that have assented to actions contrary to Holy Scripture; the doctrine, discipline and worship of Christ as this church has received them; the resolutions of Lambeth which have expressed the mind of the Communion; the Book of Common Prayer (p.422-423) and the Constitution & Canons of TEC (Canon 18:1.2.b) until such bodies show a willingness to repent of such actions."

It was bewildering and confusing, an orthodox rector told VOL. "Liberal rectors concluded that he would not take the diocese out of TEC and therefore would not go after him by appealing to Jefferts Schori or David Booth Beers, but a number of orthodox rectors, many of whom have sworn allegiance to the wider Anglican Communion are now weighing their options. I would not be surprised if a number of them decided to leave," the source said.

In his long peroration delivered at St. James' Church, James Island, Charleston, Lawrence blasted the actions of The Episcopal Church's recent General Convention, upheld the authority of Scripture, urged the diocese not to consider leaving TEC, and concluded by calling for a special convention on Oct. 24 to vote on proposals that he presented during the meeting.

"It was bizarre," said an evangelical priest. "People are trying to understand what the bishop really said. If he doesn't uphold the doctrine and discipline of the church (meaning TEC), what does he want ordinands to uphold that will be accepted by the leadership of TEC?"

Can he uphold the doctrine and discipline of the church (universal) and by pass TEC?

"He is skating on very thin ice," said another priest. "He was pressed over and over, but would not reveal the deeper plan of the diocese."

According to clergy who attended the meeting, the special Diocesan Convention in Oct. 24 will grapple with how ordinands take their vows to TEC. "I understand this means adapting them in such a way as to make vows prior to GC2003 (and Gene Robinson's ordination.)" A resolutions committee will write up special resolutions to be heard for that convention, VOL was told.

Lawrence hinted that he was looking for a third option or third way in dealing with TEC, which begs the question why he did not align himself and his diocese with the Anglican Communion Institute (ACI) as Central Florida Bishop John W. Howe has done.

In his speech, he talked about the Anglican Communion Development Committee, which no one has ever heard of, to draw together his diocese with orthodox parishes in revisionist dioceses. In his polemic, he called for sound doctrine, and more and better missional actions. Then he stated, "There is also a need to find ways to support conservative parishes and missions in dioceses where there is isolation or worse. I would like to encourage congregations in this diocese to create missional relationships with '"orthodox" congregations' isolated across North America."

This is dangerous talk. Very dangerous. If he should cross diocesan boundaries and come to the revisionist Diocese of Pennsylvania and approach the evangelical Church of the Good Samaritan, in Paoli, it would excite the Standing Committee to act against the parish. Does Lawrence have any understanding at all of just how much pressure orthodox parishes are under in revisionist dioceses? Any move by him would raise red flags and send shudders throughout the parish clergy. Recently, the Standing Committee of the diocese refused to allow a recognized Anglican bishop, in the person of Frank Lyons of Bolivia, to preach at a Sunday service.

Lawrence then said , on The Emergence of 21st Century Anglicanism: "We need to be guided by the principle that we are called to help shape an emerging Anglicanism that is sufficient of the 21st Century...We have the opportunity to help shape the emergence of a truly global Anglicanism-Making Biblical Anglicans for a Global Age." What are GAFCON and ACNA all about? They ARE the emerging Anglicanism of the 21st Century.

"The Archbishop (of Canterbury) has expressed in section 25 of 'Communion, Covenant and our Anglican Future' his strong hope that 'elements' [dioceses?] will adopt the Covenant. I believe we ought to sign on to the Ridley Draft of the Covenant as it presently stands in all four sections. (If it means we need to withdraw from a lawsuit, we withdraw from a lawsuit). Therefore we need to begin the process of studying the Ridley Draft in every deanery and parish and be prepared to vote on it either in the special convention in October or, if that's too ambitious a time frame, no later than our Annual Diocesan Convention in March 2010."

Few people are even buying the fact that a covenant will be signed up by everyone...especially not the liberals. Not many conservatives believe it will fly either. Pinning ones hopes on the covenant is a vain hope at this late stage in the Anglican Communion train wreck.

Lawrence says he wants to work with several of the Provinces within the Communion, and, "if they are so inclined to partner with us, we should work with GAFCON and ACNA from within TEC to further gospel initiatives." This dog won't hunt. If Lawrence makes any move towards GAFCON, Jefferts Schori will come down on him like a ton of bricks. Whatever his definition of "partner" is, it better be very loose or all hell will descend on him from 815 2nd avenue, New York

Lawrence did have one idea that made sense. In his concluding thoughts, he said that should a parish find it needs to be served by alternative Episcopal care he will work with them towards that end. That's good news. No litigation. Clearly, he has learned something from bishops John W. Howe and James Stanton. But it better be fair market value or David Booth Beers will have something to say about it.

Canon Philip Ashey, COO of the American Anglican Council told VOL, "that on Sunday, June 22nd the Provincial Council of the ACNA unanimously passed a resolution expressing its solidarity with all communion partner dioceses and our desire for them and us to sign the Ridley Cambridge draft as it stands. The AAC also enjoyed supporting and assisting the deputies from the Diocese of South Carolina at GC2009. As members of the Anglican Church in North America and as brothers and sisters in Christ we look forward to partnering with Bishop Lawrence and the Diocese of South Carolina."

The truth is the diocese is isolated with nowhere to go. It is surrounded by liberal and revisionist Episcopal dioceses. What is in its favor is the ability to grow locally, but even here the diocese has a problem. The Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA) is located right in its backyard and they are planting parishes in the same spiritually fertile fields as the Diocese of SC. If Lawrence wants linkages perhaps he should sit down with Bishop Chuck Murphy and resolve the legal dispute over All Saints, Pawleys Island. That might be a good start while entertaining loftier notions of GAFCON and ACNA. (AMiA holds dual citizenship with ACNA and the Province of Rwanda).

"I have no doubt some parishes will now move to leave TEC. It is only a matter of when," concluded one evangelical cleric.

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