XV BISHOP

OF THE DIOCESE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

On today, 2 October 2021, Ruth Woodliff-Stanley was ordained bishop and consecrated as the XV bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina. The diocese had been without a diocesan bishop since Mark Lawrence left the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of South Carolina on Oct. 15, 2012. He was formally removed as bishop of the diocese, by the presiding bishop, on Dec. 5, 2012. 

QUESTION: What is this woman signing up for?

ANSWER: The hardest job in the Episcopal Church.

Actually, she is signing the formal paper bishops sign promising to adhere to the doctrine, discipline and worship of the Episcopal Church. The XIV made the same declaration, which he abjured four years later. Note the bishop-elect is left-handed. Historically, that puts her in very good company. The presiding bishop, in the middle, is the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Michael Curry.

Before the ordination/consecration, the bishop-elect lies prostrate before the altar as a sign of submission and humility to God. For what is ahead of her, she is going to need a lot of humility and also courage, strength, patience, and above all, faith.

The bishops lay their hands on the head of the new bishop as a sign of the apostolic succession that goes back nearly two thousand years.

"I've got you, I've got you," the Presiding Bishop says to the new bishop as he helps her up. She is going to need a lot more of his help in the hard days ahead. He may have her hands, but all the faithful Episcopalians in South Carolina and elsewhere must have her back.

The new bishop is given her mitre which she places on her head. The pointy-hat and the crozier (staff) are the most visible signs of a bishop's authority.

The new bishop gives her first final blessing. Let us hope and pray there will be many, many more blessings to come. We are all going to need them.

Given the tumultuous history of the Diocese of South Carolina in the last several decades, this is a great moment to savor. A new and promising bishop is at the helm. It is a good thing because the ship of the diocese is about to enter the roughest seas it has ever encountered. On December 8, the SC Supreme Court will hear the arguments of both sides before they hand down their final judgment on who owns the 29 parishes and Camp St. Christopher. Win or lose, there will be a tremendous amount of work for this new bishop to do to pilot the ship through the storms. She is going to need everyone's prayers and help. She must know that she is not alone.

One point that struck me today looking at the livestream was how diverse the Episcopal Church truly is. For nearly seventy years now, TEC has worked hard to bring equality and inclusion to all of God's children regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. It has paid off and nothing showed this better than the pictures from Grace Church Cathedral today. I say, Thanks be to God.

Which of the two dioceses coming out of the schism of 2012 stands for inclusion and which for exclusion?

The Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina:

The Most Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church; the Rt. Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina.

The Anglican Diocese of South Carolina:

The three nominees for bishop coadjutor of the ADSC. Here are three white men up for election: the Revs. Rob Sturdy, Chris Warner, and Chip Edgar.