Hearing Set for November 19 in Orangeburg

A hearing will be held November 19 on the motions before 1st Circuit Court Judge Edgar W. Dickson on implementing the South Carolina Supreme Court’s decision on church property matters. Judge Dickson’s office notified all parties today that the hearing will take place in the Orangeburg County Courthouse.

The state Supreme Court decided in August 2017 to return the property of the Diocese of South Carolina and 29 parishes to The Episcopal Church and its local diocese, The Episcopal Church in South Carolina (TECSC). That decision was remitted to the 1st Judicial Circuit to be executed. In the past several weeks, both the Episcopal parties and attorneys for the breakaway group have filed motions and documents describing how they would like Judge Dickson to proceed.

The Episcopal Church and TECSC have asked the court to implement the decision, return the property and assets, and order a full accounting.  TECSC also has asked the court to dismiss a related lawsuit filed by a breakaway group.