One of the largest congregations in The Episcopal Church, St. Andrew’s Church of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., may by December become one of the largest congregations to renounce its Episcopal ties.
On Oct. 11, St. Andrew’s will begin a 40 Days of Discernment program to discuss whether it should sever ties with The Episcopal Church. The congregation will vote on Dec. 9-16, after spending a week in prayer and fasting.
The Rev. Steve Wood, rector of St. Andrew’s since 2000, wrote to all members of the parish on September 4 to announce the program. The letter included the signatures of 36 other congregational leaders, including all current staff and nine senior wardens whose service dates back to 1989.
“Since 2003 I have felt compromised by continued association with a denomination that I consider to be apostate,” Fr. Wood told The Living Church.
He said he does not know of any significant group in St. Andrew’s that wants to remain affiliated with The Episcopal Church. When he interviewed to become rector, Fr. Wood said, both the search committee and the vestry asked if he was open to separation from The Episcopal Church.
Fr. Wood's predecessor was the Rev. Terrell Glenn, who is now a bishop of the Anglican Church in the Americas and rector of AMiA’s mother church, All Saints’, Pawleys Island, S.C.
“We’re going into this with as open a mind as we can,” Fr. Wood said. “There's a little risk in there. You never know what God might say.”
On its most recent parochial report, St. Andrew’s listed 2,698 baptized members, 2,520 members in good standing and an average Sunday attendance of 1,515. Fr. Wood says another 500 to 700 people are active givers who will not join the church formally because of its affiliation with The Episcopal Church.
Fr. Wood was one of three nominees when the diocese elected the Rt. Rev. Mark J. Lawrence as its 14th bishop in September 2006. Fr. Wood said he gave advance notice of the program to Bishop Lawrence, and will keep lines of communication open.
Fr. Wood said the founding of the Anglican Church in North America was a significant factor in the church's decision to begin the 40 Days of Discernment program.
“We have a home port we can sail into now,” he said.
Fr. Wood praised the 40 Days of Discernment curriculum because sections of it reflect the writing style of the Rev. John Yates, rector of The Falls Church in Virginia.
“The material has a very Yatesian feel to it,” he said. “It's gentle, straightforward and non-accusatory. The material itself will be very appropriate for the people of St. Andrew’s.”
Douglas LeBlanc
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4 Comments
The timing of this "discernment" is most curious. The bishop has called a special diocesan convention (Oct. 24) to approve his proposal to withdraw from all bodies of governance of TEC. Everyone believes it will pass. No doubt that will lead to a resolution at the next annual diocesan convention, next March, to realign with the Anglican Church of North America. Does Fr. Wood know something the rest of us do not know?
Well Ronald, you must know something most other people don't. First, we have very little representation in the governing parts of ECUSA, except perhaps for the HoB, and HoD. So, its not a particularly important move.
Secondly, I have no expectations, nor does anyone I know of +Lawrence going anywhere, any time, except for the possibility of being deposed/or replaced by the Presiding Bishop, should he do anything drastic. Which at this time doesn't seem likely.
So, how about explain what will happen at "next convention", especially if the new disciplinary canons are enacted..
Grandmother in SC
It is, in fact, not a forgone conclusion that the Diocese of SC will realign with the ACNA. Which would explain why St. Andrews is in discernment, seeking the will of God for their parish now.
Are we all reading the same five resolutions issued from the diocesan office? The plain English in Number Two gives the bishop and standing committee the dictatorial right to withdraw from the governing bodies of TEC. That means they do not even have to wait until the next annual diocesan convention, so I could be wrong on that point. We all know these resolutions will pass overwhelmingly (I'm betting on 75-plus %) looking at the way things are set up.
Consider at the whole package, particularly: many years of visceral and relentless attacks on the national church from the conservatives who have control of the diocesan apparati, e.g. JULBILATE DEO; deliberately electing a bishop from San Joaquin; the bishop delivering long and brutal denunciations on the last general convention; the bishop and standing committee drawing up these five resolutions; the calling of a special convention that is set up to give overwhelming approval of the resolutions. How could any reasonable person conclude that all this means the diocese of SC will retain its attachment to TEC? It's absurd. It's plain to anyone that South Carolina's secession is on the horizon (again) and it will be another disaster just like the one 150 years ago.
I believe that considering the whole picture, it is cery clear that SC will be the fifth breakaway diocese. It's only a metter of time.