Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Lowcountry congregations wrestle with whether to stay or go

From South Carolina-

Some Lowcountry Episcopal congregations are still unsure if they will remain with the national Episcopal church or join former Episcopal Bishop Mark Lawrence in the development of a re-formed, separate Diocese of South Carolina that would be staunchly Anglican but theologically more conservative than the national church.

Meanwhile, the presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, said she will come to Charleston on Jan. 25-26 to preside over a convention to elect a provisional bishop to replace Lawrence, who pulled out of the national church last month, taking a majority of the congregations of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina with him. Lawrence has been outspoken in his opposition to same sex blessings and contends the national church has lost its theological way.


About a dozen congregations of the 70 in the diocese have indicated they will remain with the national Episcopal church but a number of others remain in dialogue about the next step, said Holly Behre, a spokeswoman for what is now referred to as the “continuing Episcopal diocese,” to distinguish itself from Lawrence’s breakaway diocese.


Read more here:

http://www.thestate.com/2012/12/11/2551729/lowcountry-congregations-wrestle.html#storylink=cpy

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