KNOW THE TRUTH
Want to know the truth about the schism? Want to know the differences between the leaders of the Diocese of South Carolina and the Episcopal Church? Simple. The truth is readily available in my book, A History of the Episcopal Church Schism in South Carolina. It is available on Amazon and other Internet outlets. It is the result of four years' research and writing in which I consulted 2,500 sources, 900 of which are cited in 2,200 footnotes. The book contains 300,000 words. This is as close as anyone can get to the whole truth about why the DSC voted to split off from the Episcopal Church and the differences between the post-schism DSC and TEC. As the 29 parishes prepare to return to the Episcopal Church, I highly recommend that every communicant read it. You need to know what happened and why it happened. If you do not want to buy a copy, get your local public library to order it, or borrow a copy from someone. Read it!
Ever since the South Carolina Supreme Court denied DSC's appeal for rehearing, on Nov. 17, 2017, the DSC leaders have been busy preparing to remove communicants from the 29 parishes that almost certainly will return to control of the Episcopal Church diocese of South Carolina. They held a meeting in December in which they disseminated a secret plan to the diocesan clergy and lay leaders. The plan outlined a process for removing congregations from their buildings. Just recently, Bishop Lawrence addressed the diocesan convention about going out. There are two large parishes in particular that the DSC leaders seem to be focusing on now: St. Michael's and St. Philip's, of Charleston, the great historic downtown churches where no doubt many members will remain with their ancestral buildings, cemeteries, endowments, and furnishings. DSC leaders are apparently trying their hardest to take out as many communicants from these two churches as possible. Word is that St. Michael's has already arranged to move people to a Methodist church down the street. It is almost certain that a considerable number of the faithful in these parishes will not leave the buildings. They will return to TEC.
First St. Michael's. This month, the Revs. Kendall Harmon and Al Zadig conducted a three week campaign of criticism of the Episcopal Church for the benefit of the St. Michaelites. It was entitled, "Why the Battle? Different God and Gospel?" The announcement of this has already been taken down from the online edition of "The Messenger," the St. Michael's newsletter, but can still be found on the Issuu online edition. The blurb for the "course" advertised it "will help you understand the theological divide that exists between the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church in North America...So, this is not about politics and sexuality, it is about our core beliefs, theology and discipleship." As it turned out, it was indeed all about politics and sexuality. On Mar. 14, Zadig and Harmon advertised a talk, "Is Our Gender Really Up for Grabs?" It does not take much imagine the answer. On Mar. 21, Harmon posted a talk on "Can We Redefine Marriage?" Once again, I think we can guess his answer.
Now we move to St. Philip's. Harmon and Bishop Lawrence will be presenting a campaign called "Basic Christian Theology" in seven weeks, five at St. Philip's and two back at St. Michael's. It will begin on April 4. They promise a study of a book by Bruce Milne called Know the Truth: A Handbook of Christian Belief. I have not read this book, but the reviews reveal it to be a highly evangelistic (Calvinist) theological primer apparently close to fundamentalism. As we have already seen, the DSC leaders have moved their diocese into a fundamentalist-leaning sect as exemplified in the Marriage Task Force dictates of 2015 that forced the diocese into a narrow fundamentalist framework far from the mainstream of traditional Anglicanism. This featured a literal interpretation of the Bible, authoritarianism, intolerance, exclusively vertical theology, and homophobia.
The schism happened five a half years ago, yet here we are with the DSC leaders still trying to rationalize the schism. Although homosexuality was the direct cause of the schism, DSC leaders have been trying ever since the schism to convince their people it was all about theology, that is, that the Episcopal Church no longer believed in "the uniqueness of Jesus Christ" while DSC and ACNA did. Interesting that they kept the TEC Book of Common Prayer for their services. Any assertion that the Episcopal Church has abandoned Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world is outrageously shameful nonsense. TEC certainly has not changed its theology and any implication it has is just wrong.
In time, and I suspect sooner rather than later, St. Michael's and St. Philip's will return to their ancestral home in the Episcopal Church. We so not know, cannot know, at this point how many people will stay and how many will leave the properties. So, only time will tell how effective the DSC campaign of propaganda against the Episcopal Church at St. Michael's and St. Philip's this spring will be. I for one will be praying for the communicants of these old parishes as they struggle to discern their true identities. They have been put, are still being put, in a very difficult position.
So, everyone should "Know the Truth," indeed. The truth about the schism in South Carolina is readily available to anyone who wants to know it.
(P.S. I did not have the heart to post pictures of my garden this Friday. However, my local newspaper The Anniston Star is supposed to feature it in Sunday's edition. It seemed insensitive to me to revel in the beauty of nature when my town lies devastated by the ugly side of nature. I drove around town today for the first time since the tornado and was shocked at the ruin even though I could not see the side streets. They are still blocked off. The destruction was overwhelming, much worse than I had thought. Please pray for the people of Jacksonville AL. Palm Sunday will go on tomorrow as usual. Even the worst of times cannot suppress the hope of Easter.)
UPDATE. March 25, a.m.:
Today's edition of The Anniston Star has a full page spread on my garden. One can find the same in the online version at this link . Meanwhile, the newspaper is reporting that some 2,000 volunteers, and perhaps that many chainsaws have arrived in Jacksonville to help in the clean up. This is humankind at its best, doing God's work. God is here, with every volunteer, and every chainsaw. God was also with us in church today as Palm Sunday went on as it has in our building every year since 1856.
(P.S. I did not have the heart to post pictures of my garden this Friday. However, my local newspaper The Anniston Star is supposed to feature it in Sunday's edition. It seemed insensitive to me to revel in the beauty of nature when my town lies devastated by the ugly side of nature. I drove around town today for the first time since the tornado and was shocked at the ruin even though I could not see the side streets. They are still blocked off. The destruction was overwhelming, much worse than I had thought. Please pray for the people of Jacksonville AL. Palm Sunday will go on tomorrow as usual. Even the worst of times cannot suppress the hope of Easter.)
UPDATE. March 25, a.m.:
Today's edition of The Anniston Star has a full page spread on my garden. One can find the same in the online version at this link . Meanwhile, the newspaper is reporting that some 2,000 volunteers, and perhaps that many chainsaws have arrived in Jacksonville to help in the clean up. This is humankind at its best, doing God's work. God is here, with every volunteer, and every chainsaw. God was also with us in church today as Palm Sunday went on as it has in our building every year since 1856.
