Christ Church, Florence, will welcome the Rev. Dr. Donald R. (Donnie) Hayes as their new Vicar on Sunday, May 24, 2015 during the Celebration of a New Ministry. The service of Institution will begin at 5 p.m.

The Rt. Rev. Mark J. Lawrence, 14th Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina, which includes 53 churches in the eastern part of SC, will officiate at the service and the Rev. Kay Fryman, deacon of St. John's,Florence will assist as the Bishop’s Chaplain. A number of clergy including the Very Rev. Ken Weldon from across the Diocese are expected to participate in the service. The Rev. Dr. Jim Helton of St. David's, Cheraw will provide the homily while the Rev. H. Frederick Gough of St. Barnabas, Dillon will read the Gospel. Mr. Jim Hepler and members of the choirs of St. John's and All Saints are expected to provide the music along with a brass quartet. Mr. Chandler Collins will be the Cantor of the Psalms. A prelude of special music written especially for an Institution Celebration by Johannes Sebastian Bach will open the service.

Hayes accepted the call to be the Vicar of Christ Church, Florence in February of this year. He was ordained in Richmond, Virginia in June 2010 and served in various Anglican jurisdictions after seminary. He was Curate at St. Paul's by the Sea in Calabash, N.C. part of the Orthodox Anglican Church as well as Vicar of St. Patrick's Church Garden City part of the Anglican Church in America. For the past two years he has been priest-in-charge of Our Saviour Anglican Catholic Church, Florence. This June, Hayes will celebrate five years of ordained ministry.

Christ Church is one of the oldest churches in Florence County and the oldest Anglican Episcopal church. It was consecrated in 1859. It is constructed in the Carpenter Gothic style. It was recently recognized as one of the 18 most beautiful churches in South Carolina. It seats around 250 people.

Hayes and his wife, Cynthia, have been married for 27 years. She is the church secretary of The Church of the Advent in Marion, S.C. They have two daughters, Tiffany and Carlyn. Both daughters are married to deputy sheriffs. Patrick (Tiffany) Boone is a Captain with the Kershaw County Sheriff's office in Lugoff-Elgin, S.C. while Justin (Carlyn) White is a member of the S.W.A.T. Canine Unit of the Volusia County sheriff's office in Port Orange, Florida. They have six grandchildren. Joshua Boone, Gracie Boone, Tyler White, Savannah White, Andrew White, and Emily White.

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