General Convention Roundtable November 10

All Saints, Hilton Head Island

This Friday, November 10 at 4:00 p.m., anyone interested in the 79th General Convention of The Episcopal Church is encouraged to attend a roundtable discussion led by the Very Rev. Rick Lindsey, the Deputy who chairs our deputation to GC79.

This will offer an opportunity to ask questions and discuss topics that may come up at the Province IV Synod Meeting June 6-8, 2018 at Kanuga, and at General Convention July 5-13, 2018 in Austin, TX.

Friday's roundtable is part of the opening activities for our 227th Diocesan Convention, being held at All Saints, Hilton Head Island November 10-11.

Diocesan Convention is open to visitors as well as delegates, so you do not need to be preregistered to attend the roundtable. Get details on the convention here.

Province IV Synod...Sweet, sweet spirit in this place

Update by The Rev. Dr. Wilmot Merchant, clergy deputy from The Episcopal Church in South Carolina

The General Convention Deputation from South Carolina

Friday, June 9th, the conclusion on Province IV Synod 2017.

Just like any other conference or meeting, you arrive and then you are on your way home; but between arriving and leaving a lot do happen. Unlike General Convention, at Synod, we do not gather as two Houses, we are all together for the entire time; which allows for conversations to take place between Bishops, clergy and lay. There are more interactions between deputies and Bishops during Synod which helps build community.

Synod, in a way, is a reunion of Deputies old and new. Bishops who have come or had been ordained since our last gathering and deputies who are here for the first time. We are all together again in preparation for General Convention 2018. While the workshops, presentations and meetings, are taking place we are reconnecting with one another. The evening social allows for more interactions between diocesan deputies and bishops, and we from the Episcopal Church in South Carolina did spend some quality time with our bishop.

One of the highlights for me during Synod is the welcome and roll-call. Each diocese has a different way of answering when they are called. For the Episcopal Church in South Carolina, our answer was: Still here, still Faithful, still Episcopalians. We are still a part of this denomination that continues to follow the Jesus Movement. Even though we do not all agree about some things and issues at times, we are still brothers and sisters in Christ following the Jesus Movement; worshiping, eating, fellowshiping and seeking God's direction. There has been indeed a Sweet Sweet Spirit in this Place, and it is the Spirit of Pentecost.

Now, we conclude and head back to our various mission post to keep on ministering in the Name and for the sake of Jesus Christ.

Province IV Synod...more on Kanuga Toast

Update by The Very Rev. Wil Keith, clergy deputy from The Episcopal Church in South Carolina

Our mornings here at Province IV Synod begin with a Kanuga tradition: the “Kanuga toast.”  I know what you are thinking, being so close to Pentecost and all.  No this isn't us raising our glasses at breakfast, proudly assenting with a hearty, “here, here!”  Contrary to what you may hear, we are not filled with new wine, for it is only 9 o'clock in the morning. 

Now, if you know about Kanuga Toast, feel free to skip ahead.  If you love Kanuga toast and feel that it is a cornerstone of not only a healthy breakfast, but of the entire Episcopal Church, (and neither is complete without it,) I entreat you, skip ahead.  

The dessert, as arid as Kanuga Toast

For, I find the stuff a mystery.  It is less “toast” and more “giant crouton” to me.  I'm led to believe that it is not toasted, but left out in the sun for at least 48 hours so that it may dry to something that is both rigid and allegedly throwable like a frisbee.

One other facet of this mysterious breakfast staple here at Kanuga is that it doesn't exist back home.  If fact, with our elevated humidity, I'm not convinced it could exist in our diocese.  And so, for good or bad, we must come to this magnificent, peaceful, and holy place to find it.

The same goes for the community that we find here at Province IV Synod, where we are joined by Episcopalians from throughout the Southeast.  Unlike Kanuga toast, I find that it is this community that is a cornerstone of our denomination. 

Today, after the aforementioned toast and morning prayer, our day began with the tradition of the “roll-call.”  Ms. Angela Daniel, Province IV president, calls out each diocese’s deputation by name and they respond as only they can.  For instance, the Diocese of East Tennessee sings “ rocky top, you’ll always be home sweet home to me!”  Western North Carolina gives a hearty “Hey Y’all!” And, when it was our turn we stood and in a unified voice said, “Still here! Still faithful! Still Episcopalians!” And the assembled responded with applause and cheers that our deputation will gladly carry home to our churches.

The community of Province IV Synod is singular.  In many ways it can only be found here, like Kanuga toast.  In truth, we are very lucky to have a strong Provincial Synod as many provinces do not.  This gathering encourages us to collaborate across diocesan lines though ministries that are to large and important to confine in one neighborhood.  We find encouraging words and deeds that reignite the passions that brought us here. And perhaps most important to me, we are reminded that we are not alone in the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement; that we are prayed for; that we are loved.

I'll gladly endure the toast, for it comes with great blessing.

Province IV Synod...A Homecoming

Update by Andrea McKellar, lay deputy from The Episcopal Church in South Carolina

Last night was the first evening of the Province IV Synod at Kanuga. This is a time for all of the 20 dioceses of Province IV (the Southeast area of the country) to come together to prepare for General Convention.

The altar at the outdoor chapel at Kanuga

When we arrived 3 years ago, I didn't know what to expect and certainly didn't know many people. Yesterday felt like a homecoming, a family reunion. There were hugs and lots of questions about how things are going in South Carolina. People were happy to hear the stories of joy from our diocese. That we are proud to be Episcopalians and are continuing to do good work.

In support of that good work, we were overjoyed to hear that the Executive Committee voted yesterday to do 2 things to support us.

1. They designated the offering at the Opening Eucharist to go to our diocese.
2. They are giving a $10,000 Roanridge Grant to The Episcopal Church in South Carolina to support rural churches.

After Eucharist, we spent time together as a deputation getting to know each other and planning for General Convention. Our main order of business was to elect our deputation chair. The Rev. Rick Lindsey, rector of All Saints, Hilton Head was unanimously chosen. His duties will include convening meetings of the deputation and transferring credentials between deputies and alternates. Rick was also a deputy in 2015 at Salt Lake City.

Today will be a series of meetings and workshops so we can learn from each other. I am off to find some Kanuga toast!

Our Deputies to the 79th General Convention

Elected today at our 226th Annual Convention:

Lay Deputies
Pam Guess
Andrea McKellar
Lonnie Hamilton III
Mark Szen

Lay Alternates
Maggie Dunlap, Alternate
Carrington Salley Wingard, Alternate

Clergy Deputies
The Rev. Dr. Jim Taylor
The Rev. Wil Keith
The Rev. Jean McGraw
The Rev. Rick Lindsey

Clergy Alternates
The Rev. Dr. Wilmot Merchant, Alternate
The Rev. Canon Caleb Lee, Alternate
The Rev. Bill Coyne, Alternate
The Rev. Jeff Richardson, Alternate

GC79: On the road again!

It's been just 15 months since we returned from GC78 – and it's almost time to elect our Deputies for GC79! 

The Episcopal Church in South Carolina will elect Deputies at our 226th Annual Diocesan Convention, November 11-12, 2016 at Grace Church Cathedral in Charleston.

The 79th General Convention of The Episcopal Church will be July 5-13, 2018 in Austin Texas.

Electing Deputies

A Nominations Report has been published in preparation for our Pre-Convention Deanery Meetings in October. (Late nominations still may be received by the first day of Convention, November 11). Nominees for Deputy, along with Diocesan Council, Standing Committee, and Trustee for the University of the South, are included in this report.

Pre-Convention Meetings

Sunday, October 2 at 3 pm at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Summerville
Saturday, October 8 at 10 am at Christ Church, Denmark
Wednesday, October 12 at 6:30 pm at Calvary, Charleston
Sunday, October 16 at 3 pm at St. Catherine’s, Florence

Everyone is invited to attend these meetings. Information and resources for Diocesan Convention can be found here.

From the National Cathedral…

My name is Jason Roberson, I am a postulant for Holy Orders from The Episcopal Church in South Carolina (my home parish is Grace Church in Charleston), and this past September I began my middler year of seminary at The Virginia Theological Seminary.  It was an honor to be able to attend today’s Holy Eucharist and Installation of the Most Rev. Michael Curry as our 27^th Presiding Bishop.  A group of several seminarians from VTS made the short trip across the Potomac from Alexandria this morning, and as we drove into Washington, we talked about how lucky we were to have tickets for this historic service (thank you, Annie and Bishop vonRosenberg, for my ticket!).

With over 2,500 people in attendance, the entrance line was long, and the seats in the central nave of the cathedral were already full (even though we arrived one hour before the service).  But we were lucky again…we were able to sit upstairs in the West Balcony with an amazing view of the entire nave.  As we took our seats, I realized I was sitting in the same row with the rector of St. Stephen’s in North Myrtle Beach and president of the diocesan Standing Committee, the Rev. Dr. Wilmot Merchant … it's a small world!

It was also great to see others from our diocese - Ginga and John Wilder from the Church of the Good Shepherd in Summerville were there, and the Rev. Jean McGraw and a group of parishioners from St. Francis in Charleston also made the trip.  Ginga took these great shots...

The liturgy was a wonderful celebration of the diversity of The Episcopal Church.  A Native American drumming band from the Piscataway Indians of Maryland provided music during the prelude and the Gospel procession.  Music of praise and worship was provided by the St. Thomas African Episcopal Church Gospel Choir and by soloists from the Latino/Hispanic Ministries of the Episcopal Church.  Prayers and readings were offered in Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew, and Dakota.

Today was a celebration of love and ministry: of Bishop Curry’s love for and dedication to this Church and of this new phase of his ministry.  It was also a reminder of our own baptismal covenant and of our Christian responsibility to love and minister to others.  The Great Commandment that Jesus teaches in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark could not have been made clearer:  love God and love neighbor.  Near the end of his sermon, Bishop Curry said these words, “The Holy Spirit has done evangelism and racial reconciliation before in The Episcopal Church…we are God’s children, all of us, no matter our race, no matter our religion, no matter our class, our stripe, or our type.  We’re God’s children, and we are God’s baptized children who are part of Jesus’s movement to change this world by the power of love.”  Thanks be to God!

The full, recorded webcast of today's service along with the service leaflet can be viewed here: http://www.generalconvention.org/pb-installation