"THE MEDIATION HAS 

NOT BEEN TERMINATED"

"The mediation has not been terminated." This is an official statement from bishops vonRosenberg, Adams, and Lawrence.

On January 25, 2018, they filed with the U.S. District Court in Charleston, "Joint Status Report." This was made public and meant to update the court on the progress of the mediation which was ordered by U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel on Aug. 30, 2017. The two sides have met three times since then, most recently on Jan. 12, 2018.

In the Jan. 25 Report, each side gave its view of the progress of the mediation. Bps. vonR and Adams stated:

 "it has been agreed to attempt to undertake settlement discussions between representatives of TEC and TECSC and individual parishes of the Lawrence diocese. TEC and TECSC have proposed [on Jan. 23] a protocol for such discussions to counsel for all of the involved parishes and have requested that it be accepted by February 2, 2018." 

Bp. Lawrence wrote:

"It has been agreed to attempt to undertake settlement discussions between representatives of TEC and TECSC and individual parishes of the Diocese."

"The Diocese and the participating Parishes will be responding to the suggested negotiation path by the end of next week [Feb. 2], as requested by TEC and TECSC."

Both sides agreed that there has been no progress in negotiating issues involving diocesan property in the state case and the Lanham Act claims in the federal case.

The Joint Status Report of Jan. 25, 2018, is a public document of the U.S. District Court in Charleston (filed in court on Jan. 25). However, Lawrence's response that was due on Feb. 2 reverts to the confidentiality of the mediation. We cannot know if he responded on this date as we cannot know what the response might have been. We will have to await further public announcements from the parties of the mediation.

So what does this Report tell us? It tells us first and foremost the mediation is ongoing. It is definite now that the mediation has not ended. It also tells us that "representatives of TEC and TECSC," presumably Bp. Adams and Thomas Tisdale, the chancellor, are trying to meet with the parishes (no doubt the 29 parishes named in the SCSC Aug. 2, 2017 decision) to discuss with them "settlement." We do not know yet whether DSC has accepted this proposal or what the terms of such an acceptance might be.