FAQs

Both dioceses have now issued sets of Frequently Asked Questions. These are handy summaries of their views of the schism, positions at the present, and aims for the future. They are mainly publicity moves to spread their messages among the faithful at home and the world at large. The independent Diocese of South Carolina's list of thirteen questions and answers was last updated on Feb. 15, 2018. It may be found on the DSC website here . The Episcopal Church in South Carolina (the Church diocese) posted a list of 15 questions and answers on its website on May 2, 2018. Find it here .

These FAQs have taken on new importance in light of the ongoing moves in the litigation between the two dioceses. Last week, TECSC moved decisively toward repossession of the 29 parishes and the Camp that the South Carolina Supreme Court recognized as under trust control of TEC and TECSC in its decision of last August 2. The Church petitioned the circuit court to effectuate the SCSC decision. As I see it, the circuit court has no choice but to carry out the decision of the state high court. However, circuit court Judge Dickson may wait to make any order until the U.S. Supreme Court responds to DSC's request for review of the SCSC decision. That should appear in the next seven weeks. Odds are that SCOTUS will deny DSC's petition. If so, the SCSC decision will stand as the final word and the circuit court will have to order its enactment. Thus, there is a strong probability now that the Episcopal Church will repossess the 29 parishes and the Camp in the near future. This means that the 13,000 communicants in these parishes will soon have big decisions to make. 

The DSC leaders have put out strong signals that they know the game is up, that they have failed in their ill-conceived attempt to leave the Episcopal Church with the property in hand. They tried and failed to defy the laws of the Church. Last November, just two days after the SCSC denied DSC's petition for rehearing, DSC filed a new lawsuit in the circuit court claiming payments from the Church side under the "Betterments Statute." The suit gave de facto recognition that the properties belonged to the Church side. Moreover, in early December, the DSC leaders held a private meeting with parish leaders and issued a plan guiding the parishes on how to move communicants out of the buildings into new meeting sites. Then, in March and April, the Revs. Al Zadig and Kendall Harmon conducted a teaching campaign in St. Michael's. The set of presentations demonized the Episcopal Church and tried to present the faithful with a binary choice of true or false religion. The obvious point was that people should prepare to leave the buildings in order to stay with DSC and right religion. This was recorded and sent to the DSC parishes so that they can present it to their communicants. Now, Bishop Lawrence, Harmon and Zadig are conducting another campaign, under the guise of "theology," in St. Philip's and St. Michael's. The DSC stalled the enactment of the SCSC decision for nine months but time is almost up. We will probably have word from SCOTUS by the end of next month. If SCOTUS denies, DSC will be out of delaying maneuvers. The 29 parishes will be handed over, finally, to control of TEC and TECSC. The 29 will function as Episcopal churches again.

As I see it, the point of the DSC's FAQs is to sway all the communicants possible to leave the buildings and form DSC congregations elsewhere. Since the issue of the property ownership has been all but finally settled, I can see no other point of their FAQs as far as the 29 parishes go. 

The point of the TECSC FAQs is the opposite, to sway as many communicants of the 29 parishes as possible to remain with the buildings as the Episcopal Church returns.

Since the aims of the FAQs are opposite, it is not surprising that they vary widely in attitude, tone, and content. The DSC FAQs are obsessed with denunciation of the Episcopal Church. They name TEC 34 times, all in derogatory terms. Trying to make their case as strongly as possible, the answers are replete with incorrect, partially correct, and misleading statements. The whole document reeks of desperation. 

TECSC's FAQs, on the other hand, are all positive. They barely mention the other side, referring to the "disaffiliated" party only 3 times. It is a guide for the 13,000 in the 29 parishes on what to expect when the time comes for the actual repossession of the buildings. The time will come, I expect within the next six months.

There is another set of "FAQs," my own compilation of major questions and answers about the schism's past, present, and future. I originally posted these as 14 entries on this blog between January 5 and February 1, 2018. In light of the recent moves toward the return of the 29 parishes, it is useful to revisit these. I will re-post them here following the present item. The more information the 13,000 have, the better. I do to remind readers, however, that I speak only for myself.