DSC CONVENTION BEGINS TODAY,

FRIDAY THE 13TH

The annual meeting of the Diocese of South Carolina (the independent diocese of Mark Lawrence) is today and tomorrow in Charleston. The featured event this afternoon is a "workshop" given by Lawrence and his ally Kendall Harmon on the topic of "affiliation." The independent diocese has been desperate ever since it left the Episcopal Church to have some form of legitimacy. Last year the convention passed a resolution recognizing some sort of tie to the "Global South," a self-made coalition of Anglican primates, mostly in Africa, united in opposition to rights for homosexuals. The tie was never described, explained, or otherwise justified. Lawrence himself said in a TV interview he did not clearly understand how it would work. One can only wait and see what Lawrence and Harmon have to say about DSC's next creative off-the-wall scheme of "affiliation." The problem is that since it left the Episcopal Church, DSC has also left the Anglican Communion. DSC has no official connection to the Anglican Communion, something the Archbishop of Canterbury has affirmed more than once recently.

As of this writing (Fri., Mar. 13, 7:30 am) DSC has not released the proposed resolutions that will have to be voted on tomorrow. This is the first time in memory the diocese has not published the proposed resolutions in advance of the convention. This can only leave one suspicious about the reasons for withholding the most important work of the assembly. Apparently, the proposed resolution will be sprung on the delegates only at the last minute. Wonder why?

Two controversial issues will arise in the resolutions, possibly the reasons for the secrecy. One is affiliation. The committee of affiliation will present its report and no doubt make a resolution to enact the recommendation in the report. The other is the fate of last year's resolution to give the local rector control over the parish property. It was tabled at last year's meeting. By the rules, it has to be brought up again this year in some fashion. Only when the proposed resolutions are released (presumably tomorrow) will we know what the ruling clique intends to do about these two controversial points.

I am going to today's workshops and tomorrow's business meeting as a "visitor." I will post a report here on the happenings on late Saturday the 14th.