SC Episcopal ‘reconciliation’ actually means surrender

A recent letter concerning the dispute between the Diocese of South Carolina and The Episcopal Church was a heartfelt call for reconciliation.

Unfortunately, its claim that the lawsuit is settled is misleading. The decision of the South Carolina Supreme Court is too fractured to be enforceable as written.

The Episcopal group talks of reconciliation but the actions of its leaders tell a different story. Court petitions filed this year have sought to remove the clergy and lay leadership of the 29 churches already in the litigation, while also adding over a dozen smaller mission congregations, including the Church of the Holy Trinity in Grahamville, where I serve as vicar. These newly-added churches must now invest a portion of their limited resources in legal fees to defend themselves against frivolous charges.

It is also worth remembering that Bishop Skip Adams, who currently oversees the Episcopal group in South Carolina, was involved in litigation resulting in the eviction of the congregation of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Binghamton, New York, from its property, which was subsequently sold to a Muslim group for one-third of the amount the congregation offered. It is difficult to entertain his call for “reconciliation in Christ” when he, in essence, engineered the toppling of the cross from its steeple.

In truth, the Episcopal group’s call for reconciliation is a thinly veiled demand for surrender, not only of property but also of theological conviction and conscience. Their words sound like peace and love, but their actions speak louder.