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MT. PLEASANT, SC: St. Andrew's Votes to Leave the Episcopal Church
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
12/18/2009
St. Andrews Episcopal Church, the largest parish in the Diocese of South Carolina has voted overwhelmingly to leave The Episcopal Church and join with the emerging Anglican Church of North America.
A vote by the church saw 838 voting to leave the diocese with only a small number of votes to stay. Membership in the church is nearly 1,300. The church has been in a 40-day discernment period.
A letter from the vestry to the church said this:
"On behalf of the staff and former Sr. Warden's we wish to thank you for your faithful commitment to engage the discernment process this fall. While the question before our congregation was a serious and sobering one, the depth and richness of the materials and sermons combined with your participation in LifeGroups has worked to deepen our corporate understanding of the Lord's direction in our life and the call upon this parish."
"Last night we gathered to count the response forms and by a 93% - 6% margin the congregation has overwhelmingly recommended that St. Andrew's affiliate with the Anglican Church in North America and separate from The Episcopal Church. Here are the results:
"902 total discernment response forms submitted.
* 838 recommended that St. Andrew's Church affiliate with the Anglican Church in North America and separate from The Episcopal Church.
* 58 recommended that we remain within The Episcopal Church.
* 4 response forms were submitted unmarked.
* 2 response forms had the word, "abstain" written across them.
"We were very pleased with the total number of people participating in this discernment process and we were equally pleased with the clarity with which you - and the Lord through you - spoke to us. We will gather as a Vestry in the New Year to take up this matter. Be assured we will keep you informed of our decisions. Please keep us in your prayers."
Fr. Steve Wood is on record as saying that the clergy and lay leadership of St. Andrew's Church have wrestled with the increasing tension between St. Andrew's and The Episcopal Church caused by the decisions of The Episcopal Church to "walk apart" from both the biblical faith and the Anglican Communion on matters of faith and morals. Fr. Wood was runner-up in the election for Bishop of South Carolina and had made it clear that leaving The Episcopal Church was an option.
There has been no response from Bishop Mark Lawrence as at this time. VOL will post more when it becomes available.
Bishop Lawrence has publicly stated that he is in favor of staying within the Episcopal Church while withdrawing the diocese from participating in the church's national councils.
The loss of this parish is a considerable blow to the Diocese. Lawrence is also on record as saying he is opposed to litigation to keep parishes and their properties in the diocese. Everything will depend upon what kind of pressure he gets from Mrs. Jefferts Schori and her attorney David Booth Beers.
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