SOUTH CAROLINA: All Saints Dissidents Hope to Worship in Old Church

By Jason Lesley, Managing Editor GEORGETOWN TIMES January 28, 2004

South Carolina Bishop Edward L. Salmon told about 60 parishioners who voted against leaving the Episcopal church earlier this month they are the true congregation of All Saints, Waccamaw.

Salmon gathered the remnants of his flock at the Carriage House Club at Litchfield Plantation Tuesday after being denied access to the All Saints property by representatives of the 450 members who voted to leave the church Jan. 8.

"Any kind of public controversy is not a good thing," Salmon said. "The church is in turmoil on a number of matters, and that turmoil has expressed itself at Pawleys Island. We need to be sure we do not say anything about the other people involved and focus on what the Lord wants."

The All Saints congregation voted to change the church's corporate charter, deleting references to the Episcopal Church USA and the Episcopal Diocese of S.C., in response to the consecration of Gene Robinson, the church's first openly homosexual bishop. But All Saints leaders have been fighting the diocese in court for three years over ownership of the church property on Kings River Road, valued at about $50 million.

Salmon said the diocese had tried to leave the All Saints situation alone. "We thought that if we didn't do anything destructive, we could work it out," he said. "The issues at hand are the property and the bishop's authority in the church. I could no longer look the other way." Salmon said there must be an Episcopal congregation in existence to hold title to the All Saints property when the lawsuit is settled.

A more immediate question came from the audience. "Can we meet in the Old Church?"

Salmon said he could not answer that question last night but promised to pursue the matter this week. He said a retired minister could easily be found to preach at a church service. The majority of those at last night's meeting wanted to have 8 and 10 a.m. services in the historic old church.

"Why do we have to ask them to go to our church?" another member of the audience asked Salmon. "They have taken it over," Salmon answered. "While I don't agree with what they've done, let's treat them as Christian people and pray for them."

All Saints spokesman Russ Campbell said the request to use the Old Church will be sent to the church council and then to chancellor Ross Lindsay III for a legal opinion. "It's a legal matter," Campbell said last night.

Another member of the audience last night asked about going to the All Saints Access service. Church officials have said the dissidents could attend any service, but technically they will be visitors. "Worship won't taint your soul," Salmon assured the questioner.

Another asked about giving money to the Episcopal Church.

"Make your contributions to this congregation," Salmon said, pointing to the people seated around him and adding the wardens would organize a means of collecting money and depositing it in a new bank account.

Another asked Salmon if he had ex-communicated warden Doc Lachicotte and the other vestry members at All Saints, as they have claimed.

"I've not ex-communicated anybody," he said. "They are no longer communicants in good standing by leaving the church. They can't have it both ways, leave the church and remain in good standing."

Salmon said he has no earthly idea how the situation at All Saints will play out. "The diocese's strength is in jeopardy when a group can take over its property. The strength would be gone. We've got to find a way to allow All Saints to function as it always has."