Clergy and lay leadership in the Diocese of South Carolina voted to affiliate with the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes during the annual convention March 5-6 at the North Charleston Convention Center.

The Rt. Rev. Edward Salmon, Jr., Bishop of South Carolina, said the crisis the Episcopal Church has experienced since last summer is the result of improperly seeking to settle a profound theological issue through a popular vote.

He described the purpose of the network as a means to uphold orthodoxy and provide mutual support during a trying time. “The network also provides a means for primates and others to support us more effectively in this struggle,” Bishop Salmon said. “Its purpose is to provide a place of strength and witness within the American Church.”

Bishop Salmon helped draft and signed the network charter and both the standing committee and diocesan council had previously approved diocesan affiliation. A few representatives spoke against approval.

“I believe this resolution would continue the divisiveness … because it would institutionalize a movement that not all parties agree with,” said Andy Brack, a delegate from St. Stephen’s Church, Charleston.