C E R T D E N I E D
The United States Supreme Court has denied cert in the SC church case. The court released the news this morning in its new orders. That means it has rejected the Diocese of South Carolina's Feb. 9, 2018 petition for review of the South Carolina Supreme Court decision of August 2, 2017. That, in turn, means the state supreme court ruling stands as the law. It cannot be appealed or ignored. The SCSC ruling recognized the trust control of the Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Church diocese over 29 parishes and Camp St. Christopher.
This means that the Episcopal Church diocese now has no impediment to the physical repossession of the properties in question. Last month, Church lawyers filed papers with Judge Edgar Dickson, of the circuit court of Dorchester County, for court orders to repossess the properties. They also asked the court to appoint a manager to oversee the transition of the properties from DSC control to TEC. Since SCOTUS has refused to review the SCSC decision, there is no reason for Judge Dickson to delay the implementation of the state supreme court decision. We can expect the judge to act soon and for the Episcopal Church bishop to regain control of these local churches in the near future. Legally, the 29 are Episcopal churches and always have been.
What local churches have been returned to Episcopal Church control? There has been some confusion about the number, 28 or 29? If we go back to the SCSC decision of August 2, 2017 (find it here ), and look at Footnote # 49, we see the list of 7 parishes that were declared to be NOT under the trust. That means the Episcopal Church has no legal right to them. They are:
St. Andrew's, Mt. Pleasant
Christ the King, Waccamaw, Pawleys Island
St. Matthew's, Darlington
St. Paul's, Conway
Prince George Winyah, Georgetown
St. John's, Florence
St. Matthias, Summerton
Then, if we go back to the front two pages of the decision, we see a list of parishes in the lawsuit. Removing the 7 above, we are left with 29 that remain under Episcopal Church control. These are the local churches that the Episcopal Church bishop is now moving to repossess:
PARISHES UNDER EPISCOPAL CHURCH CONTROL:
BEAUFORT:
St. Helena's
BENNETTSVILLE:
St. Paul's
BLUFFTON
Church of the Cross
CHARLESTON:
Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul
CHARLESTON:
Church of the Good Shepherd
CHARLESTON:
Holy Trinity
CHARLESTON:
St. Andrew's (Old St. Andrew's)
CHARLESTON:
St. James
CHARLESTON:
St. John's (Johns Is.)
CHARLESTON:
St. Michael's
CHARLESTON:
St. Philip's
CHERAW:
St. David's
EDISTO:
Trinity
EUTAWVILLE:
Church of the Epiphany
FLORENCE
All Saints
FORT MOTTE:
St. Matthew's
HARTSVILLE;
St. Bartholomew's
HILTON HEAD:
St. Luke's
JOHNS ISLAND:
Church of Our Saviour
MOUNT PLEASANT:
Christ Church
MYRTLE BEACH:
Trinity
ORANGEBURG:
Redeemer
PINOPOLIS:
Trinity Church
STATEBURG [possibly Sullivans Island?]
Church of the Holy Cross
SUMMERVILLE:
St. Paul's
SUMTER:
Church of the Holy Comforter
SURFSIDE:
Church of the Resurrection
WALTERBORO:
St. Jude's
YONGES ISLAND:
Christ/St. Paul's
Only one "Church of the Holy Cross" was listed, without location. There are actually two parishes under the same name, one in Stateburg and one in Sullivans Island. If both of these were in the lawsuit, that would bring the total number under Episcopal Church trust control up to 30 parishes.
The Supreme Court denial today is the end of the road in the 29 parishes' efforts to leave the Episcopal Church and take the property with them. The courts have ruled in absolute finality that the parishes cannot remove the property from control of the Episcopal Church.
What now?
There are 29 parishes in question. They have 13,000 communicants. The Episcopal Church bishop would like these parishes to resume functioning as Episcopal churches as they had before the schism. However, for the past six months, the independent diocese has been working in the 29 parishes to prepare the people to move out of the buildings and meet elsewhere as DSC congregations. So, the big question now is how many people in these 29 parishes will remain with the buildings and how many will leave. Only time will tell.
At this moment, however, I suggest that everyone just take a deep breath and try to start processing the meaning of what happened today. This is the biggest day in the history of the schism since the schism itself in October of 2012, more than five and a half years ago. My, what has happened since then!
Today's news is a monumental milestone in the long history of the schism. It means an incredible amount to both sides. The Episcopal Church has won back the bulk of the local parish properties but that means a multitude of difficult problems for the Church side. On the other side, the secessionists have suffered a crushing and heartbreaking defeat. Thousands of people put a great deal of trust and faith in leaders who, alas, failed to deliver their lofty, but ultimately unrealistic, promises. I imagine many of these people must be wondering why God let them down. According to their leaders, He was on their side. Now, these people face a big choice, follow DSC out of their beloved churches or stay home and return to TEC.
I think at this point everyone is just exhausted. We are drained after so many years of relentless and debilitating hostility and conflict. We have legal war fatigue. Some of us may be shell shocked. Some of us may even experience PTSD. I suggest that everyone take a deep breath, sit quietly, go to prayer and meditation and try to absorb the import of what has happened. I am off to my garden to take my own advice.
Tomorrow will be a new day.
Question, comments? I would like to hear from you. Your thoughts are important to me. E-mail me at the address above.
The Supreme Court denial today is the end of the road in the 29 parishes' efforts to leave the Episcopal Church and take the property with them. The courts have ruled in absolute finality that the parishes cannot remove the property from control of the Episcopal Church.
What now?
There are 29 parishes in question. They have 13,000 communicants. The Episcopal Church bishop would like these parishes to resume functioning as Episcopal churches as they had before the schism. However, for the past six months, the independent diocese has been working in the 29 parishes to prepare the people to move out of the buildings and meet elsewhere as DSC congregations. So, the big question now is how many people in these 29 parishes will remain with the buildings and how many will leave. Only time will tell.
At this moment, however, I suggest that everyone just take a deep breath and try to start processing the meaning of what happened today. This is the biggest day in the history of the schism since the schism itself in October of 2012, more than five and a half years ago. My, what has happened since then!
Today's news is a monumental milestone in the long history of the schism. It means an incredible amount to both sides. The Episcopal Church has won back the bulk of the local parish properties but that means a multitude of difficult problems for the Church side. On the other side, the secessionists have suffered a crushing and heartbreaking defeat. Thousands of people put a great deal of trust and faith in leaders who, alas, failed to deliver their lofty, but ultimately unrealistic, promises. I imagine many of these people must be wondering why God let them down. According to their leaders, He was on their side. Now, these people face a big choice, follow DSC out of their beloved churches or stay home and return to TEC.
I think at this point everyone is just exhausted. We are drained after so many years of relentless and debilitating hostility and conflict. We have legal war fatigue. Some of us may be shell shocked. Some of us may even experience PTSD. I suggest that everyone take a deep breath, sit quietly, go to prayer and meditation and try to absorb the import of what has happened. I am off to my garden to take my own advice.
Tomorrow will be a new day.
Question, comments? I would like to hear from you. Your thoughts are important to me. E-mail me at the address above.
