More than 900 attend annual event

CHARLESTON, SC, JAN. 28, 2014 – Internationally known scholars and experts in the field of religion and culture drew a record-breaking crowd of more than 900 to the Charleston Music Hall, Jan. 22-24 for the annual Mere Anglicanism Conference which this year looked at “Salt & Light: The Christian Response to Secularism.”

Bishop NT Wright, one of the world’s foremost New Testament scholars and the leading expert on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, said that Christians had colluded with secularism by letting God be pushed upstairs and out of sight, with Christians holding the view that their purpose lay in being heaven-bound. “That’s not it,” he said. “God rescues us to become rescuers.” “We are put right (justified) so we can help right things on earth.”

Mary Eberstadt, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a Washington, D.C. organization dedicated to applying the Judeo-Christian moral tradition to public policy issues, argued that the last 15-20 years has seen the emergence in the West of a new intolerance directed at Christians. Increasingly religious believers are the recipients of rage, ridicule and ostracism. “This hateful rhetoric would have been denounced if those on the receiving end were anything but Christians,” she said. She told of Christians losing their jobs or being pushed out of public life for expressing their beliefs.

“In subtle ways intimidation leads to censorship, censorship to self-censorship,” she said. “Free speech intolerance is everybody’s problem. Push back is way over due.”

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The 224th Annual Convention of the Diocese of South Carolina will be held March 13-14, 2015 at the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul and the Charleston Music Hall in Charleston South Carolina.

Convention Registration

Convention delegates must be registered by January 30. The cost per clergy and lay delegate is $60 per person. Visitors are welcome, but seating in the visitor gallery is limited. The cost for visitors is $30 per person.

Register here. Note if you do not have an account, feel free to register as a guest.

View Convention schedule.

Workshops Offered

On Friday afternoon, March 13 five workshops aimed at “Mission and Ministry” will be held at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church. The workshops are:

“What is Anglicanism: Conversations on Affiliation,” led by The Rt. Rev. Mark J. Lawrence, XIV Bishop of South Carolina and The Rev. Dr. Canon Kendall Harmon, Canon Theologian of the Diocese;

“Cultural Shifts: What is Christian Marriage?” led by The Rev. Dr. Stephen Noll, Retired Professor-Trinity School for Ministry & former President of Uganda Christian University, Author of Two Sexes, One Flesh

“Personal Evangelism” led by Mr. Langdon Stewart, Evangelism Explosion

“Hands-On Mission Locally and Globally,” led by Mrs. Sharon Steinmiller, Director of New Wineskins, Ambridge, PA

“Christian Faith Formation: Anglican Catechism and Confirmation,” led by the Very Rev. Dr. Peter Moore and Mr. Peter Rothermel, Faith Formation Coordinator, Diocese of South Carolina

“Engaging Younger Generations in Smaller Congregations,” led by Mr. Dave Wright, Youth Ministry Coordinator, Diocese of South Carolina



Read more about the Diocesan Convention.

On December 12, the Rt. Rev. William Skilton, retired suffragan bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina released an “Open Letter to the Faithful Anglicans/Episcopalians in Lower South Carolina” in which he shared correspondence he’d received from Rt. Rev. Charles vonRosenberg, the provisional bishop of TECinSC and his response. Bp. Skilton has been directed to no longer function in any sacramental capacity in any TEC congregation in South Carolina. Bp. Skilton had sought to minister in a reconciling way with parishes in both dioceses (though functioning as a bishop in neither). This action will effectively end that dual ministry. He will, nonetheless, continue to be a welcome guest among parishes in the Diocese of South Carolina and we look forward to his continued sacramental ministry among us.

Mission to Ethiopia, February 2015, November 2015

The Church of Our Saviour is sponsoring two mission trips in the upcoming year to Ethiopia. These will be small teams of 8 people each and will primarily focused on the Gambella region of Ethiopia. Although we will be sponsoring these teams, they will also be open to others from within the Diocese. We are sending these teams to assist Bishop Grant and Wendy LeMarquand in the building of a mission base and theological training centre in Gambella.

The trips will be of 8 days duration; one trip will be over the first week in February, 2015 and the other over the first week in November, 2015. Both trips are scheduled to coincide with Mother's Union and Diocesan Conferences so much of the Ethiopian leadership will be present. We will need men and women, clergy and laity, experienced and novice, young and wise. You will need to be healthy and willing to accommodate moderate levels of discomfort. We need those who can teach, have library skills, construction experience, medical skills, musicians and logistical talents. Approximate costs are $3,000 per person including airfares. Deadline for application for the first trip is November 24, 2014 and for the second trip September 1, 2015.

Further details will be available upon application (final costs, flight details, visa applications, immunizations, etc). Some training and gathering for prayer in advance of the trip will be required. We are reviewing Ebola and other security issues in the region and will not send the team if there is recognizable risk. At present there are no cases of Ebola in the area. You may wish to review the conditions and work of the Diocese of the Horn of Africa at: http://dioceseofegypt.org/. Download the application.

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