F​rom the First Letter of John: 
We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, ​concerning the word of life.
 This life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it.

233rd Diocesan Convention Provides Opportunity to Testify to the Life and Vibrancy of the Diocese

The 233rd Diocesan Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina adjourned on Saturday just before noon on the third day of this year’s annual gathering. This year’s convention was held at the historic St. James Episcopal Church, Charleston, on James Island. It was a joy to be with people from all corners of the diocese in this beautiful location.

The convention convened on Thursday afternoon with the first business session that led into the Convention Eucharist at 5 pm in the sanctuary. The Very Rev. Michael Battle, Ph.D., was the preacher. A reception followed in St. James Center. 

The next morning, the Second Business Session convened after Morning Prayer at 9 am. Delegates handled business of the Convention before listening to reports from two institutions of the diocese, Voorhees University (represented by Dr. Ronnie Hopkins, the school’s president) and Bishop Gadsden (represented by Sarah Tipton, President and CEO). Next, was a plenary session led by the convention’s keynote speaker, Sophfronia Scott–a novelist, essayist, and leading contemplative thinker.

After lunch on Friday, attendees were offered an opportunity to attend a workshop of their own choosing. There were five options: a tour of Bishop Gadsden; a St. Christopher Outdoor Encounter with staff from St. Christopher Camp & Conference Center; an Artist Talk with Graeme Mortimer Evelyn offered by the Foundation for Spirituality and the Arts; a discussion on Restorative Justice with Dr. Michael Battle; or a closer look into the works of Thomas Merton with Sophfronia Scott.

The third business session convened at 2:30 pm and began with elections for various diocesan offices. The results are below: 

Diocesan Council (Three-year terms)
Clergy: The Rev. Katie Presley, the Rev. Joseph Smith
Lay: Susan Grimes, Mildred Keith
​
Standing Committee (Three-year terms)
Clergy: The Rev. Bill Coyne, the Rev. Cn. Wilmot T. Merchant II
Lay: Vermelle Simmons, Rick Stall

University of the South Trustee (Three-year term)
Lay: Jean McDowell Martin

A number of reports followed the elections including from the Commission on Ministry, Racial Justice and Reconciliation Commisssion, St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center, Sewanee, and international partners. After a brief break, the convention returned for afternoon devotions, the bishop’s address (watch the recording on YouTube at this link), and the report of the Strategic Visioning Team. The report can be found on the Strategic Visioning webpage at this link. The second business day ended with a food truck social and a performance from a live band!

The final business session convened on Saturday morning after Morning Prayer (led by diocesan youth). The day began on a joyful note as the Convention affirmed and celebrated the parish status of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Summerville. The majority of the congregation was present to parade into the Convention for the recognition. Another highlight of Saturday’s session was the presentation of the bishop’s cross to three recipients: Eric and Tommy Bultman of Good Shepherd, Sumter, and Dr. Frances Elmore, a founding member of St. Catherine’s, Florence. Watch the presentation on YouTube at this link. This final session of the convention also included a panel discussion with Bishop Ruth and the two special guests, Dr. Michael Battle and Sophfronia Scott.

View an album of photos from Convention on our Facebook page

Convention Documents

233rd Diocesan Convention Video Recordings

Bishop’s Address

Presentation of the Bishop’s Crosses

Chronicler Award

Call to Convention

F​rom the First Letter of John: 
We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands,
​concerning the word of life.
 This life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it.

Notice is hereby given that the Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina will be hosted by the Peninsula Deanery at St. James Episcopal Church, Charleston (James Island), November 2-4, 2023. The theme of this year’s convention is “Testify.”

We are delighted to have Sophfronia Scott and Michael Battle with us for Convention this year. Sophfronia Scott, our keynote speaker, grew up in Lorain, Ohio, a hometown she shares with author Toni Morrison. She began her career as an award-winning magazine journalist for “Time” magazine, where she co-authored the groundbreaking cover story “Twentysomething,” the first study identifying the demographic group known as Generation X. Scott was nominated as Best New Author at the African American Literary Awards for her first novel, All I Need to Get By, and hailed by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. as “potentially one of the best writers of her generation.” She is the author of The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton, Unforgivable Love, Love’s Long Line, and This Child of Faith: Raising a Spiritual Child in a Secular World, co-written with her son Tain, a survivor of the Sandy Hook shooting. Her latest novel is Wild, Beautiful, and Free.

Our Convention preacher, The Very Rev. Michael Battle, Ph.D., currently serves as the Herbert Thompson Professor of Church and Society and Director of the Desmond Tutu Center at General Theological Seminary in New York. His vocation has been especially linked to the ministry of Archbishop Tutu, who ordained him to the priesthood, officiated his marriage, and baptized his children. His 11 books include Desmond Tutu: A Spiritual Biography of South Africa’s Confessor; Blessed are the Peacemakers: A Christian Spirituality of Nonviolence; and Practicing Reconciliation in a Violent World. A beloved spiritual guide to seminarians and the CREDO conference, Battle has served as chaplain to Archbishop Tutu, the House of Bishops, the Lambeth Conference, and Congressman John Lewis. In 2010, Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, named Battle as one of the Six Preachers of Canterbury Cathedral, an honorary appointment with an unbroken succession dating back to its foundation by Thomas Cranmer at the time of the English Reformation.

Books will be available for purchase and signing at Convention.

The Annual Convention this year presents opportunities to do our necessary yearly work and to gather the Episcopal community of the Diocese at our annual “family reunion.” This year’s format is expanded to accommodate the growth of our shared ministries and business, as well as to create special opportunities for formation and fellowship. One notable change is the addition of a variety of workshops offered by our Convention speakers, St. Christopher Camp & Conference Center, and an important new partner organization, the Foundation for Spirituality and the Arts. We are also blessed to collaborate with Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community, located directly across the road from the St. James campus.

Special Guests at Convention

We are delighted to have Sophfronia Scott and The Very Rev. Michael Battle with us for Convention this year. Along with the descriptions of these special guests, we have added a special reading recommendation from each, selecting one of their own works. Both selections will be available at the Gifts of Grace Bookstore at Grace Church Cathedral, as well as at the links below. ​Books will be available for purchase and signing at Convention.