“We All Are Ministers”
223rd Annual Diocesan Convention
February 21-22, 2014
Prayer for Diocesan Convention
Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with those who take counsel in The Episcopal Church in South Carolina for the renewal and mission of your Church. Teach us in all things to seek first your honor and glory. Guide us to perceive what is right, and grant us both the courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP p. 818
Convention Journal
Journal of the 223rd Annual Diocesan Convention (2014)
Report on the Convention
Constitution & Canons
Delegates voted to approve changes in the governing documents of the diocese that restore language acknowledging the diocese as part of the wider church and agreeing to be governed by the TEC Constitution and Canons.
Changing the Constitution of the diocese requires approval at two consecutive annual conventions. On Saturday, the Convention first voted to give second and final approval to the Constitution that was initially approved at the 222nd Annual Convention in March 2013. That document essentially restored the Constitution to 2007, before breakaway church leaders revised the governing documents of the diocese to remove references to The Episcopal Church.
Next, delegates voted to approve a new Constitution, a more thoroughly updated and revised document. The 2014 Constitution must be approved at the next Annual Convention in 2015 to become effective.
The Convention also approved the new 2014 Canons and Rules of Order, which become effective immediately.
View all of these documents on the Constitution & Canons page.
New Missions
Another early item on the agenda was the report of the Committee on New Parishes and Missions. Their recommendation was greeted with a standing ovation: Five worship groups were officially recognized as missions of the diocese, and their representatives took their seats among the delegations at Convention. Later, interspersed through the morning’s business, each group got a moment to be introduced with a procession into the church complete with banners, flags, hymns and applause. The new missions of The Episcopal Church in South Carolina are:
The Episcopal Church on Edisto
Good Shepherd, Summerville
St. Anne’s, Conway
St. Catherine’s, Florence
St. Francis, Charleston
That brings to 27 the number of parishes and missions that are in union with Convention. The diocese also has active worshiping communities in Okatie, East Cooper, and Myrtle Beach that could apply as missions at future Conventions. Find a complete list of Episcopal Church congregations here.
Budget
The Convention also approved the 2014 budget, which can be viewed here.
Election results
Elections were held for diocesan offices and for Deputies to the General Convention in 2014:
Standing Committee
Lay: Dr. Frances Elmore, Dr. Scott Shaffer
Clergy: The Rev. Chris Huff, the Rev. Jean McGraw
Diocesan Council
Lay: Jim Gettys, Carol Grish
Clergy: The Rev. Alastair Votaw, the Rev. David Williams
Trustee, University of the South
Jane Hart Lewis
Trustee, The Episcopal Church in South Carolina
The Rev. Donald S. McPhail
Deputies to the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church
Lay Deputies: Thomas Tisdale, Lonnie Hamilton, Mary Ann Foy, Andrea McKellar
Lay Alternates: Dr. Charles Geer, Melinda A. Lucka, Barbara Mann, Dr. James Hutchisson
Clergy Deputies:The Rev. Jim Taylor, the Rev. Dr. Wilmot T. Merchant II, the Rev. Richard C. Lindsey, the Rev. Cn. J. Michael A. Wright
Clergy alternates: The Rev. Wil Keith, the Rev. Rick Luoni, the Rev. Jean McGraw and the Rev. Jeff Richardson
Report of Institutions and participating organizations
The Report of Institutions can be read here.
The following institutions submitted reports to the Convention:
- Bishop Gadsden Retirement Community *
- Kanuga *
- The University of the South – Sewanee
- York Place/Thompson Child & Family Focus*
- Porter-Gaud School*
- Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community
- Voorhees College*
Those marked with an asterisk (*) above also sent representatives to present reports to the Convention.
Bishop Gadsden, Sewanee and Voorhees also had exhibit tables during Convention. Other exhibitors included:
- Charleston Port and Seafarers Society
- Church Insurance Group
- Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy
- Dominican Republic Mission Group
- Education for Ministry
- Episcopal Forum of South Carolina
- Episcopal Relief and Development
- Order of St. Helena
- Society of the Companions of the Holy Cross
Convention Audio/Video
Bishop’s Address to the Convention
Bishop Curry’s Sermon at the Convention Eucharist
The Right Reverend Michael Bruce Curry, 11th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, was the preacher at the Convention Eucharist on Friday, February 21 at 5:00 p.m.
A biography of Bishop Curry can be found on the Diocese of North Carolina’s website here.