Reflections on the South Carolina Diocesan Convention by Saint Michael's Junior Warden

While each of the words can be unpacked to address our present situation, I believe we can state the above sentence, more succinctly””“We are to make Biblical Anglicans for a global age.” If you prefer the T-shirt version, it is “Making Biblical Anglicans for a Global Age”.

The Bishop continued in his address to unpack how that vision may be implemented.
In addition to elections to leadership positions, four resolutions were presented for a vote. Three of the four were not announced to the delegates ahead of time, but presented and read from the floor and distributed in written form immediately prior to our being asked to consider them and vote on them.

The three resolutions which were introduced from the floor seemed to me to be especially related to the pending issues in our national church. Thus, they were charged with meaning and implications and, not surprisingly, produced strong reactions. Ultimately two were passed. One was a resolution that reaffirmed our belief in the uniqueness of Christ. The second was a resolution in response to the election of Rev. Kevin Thew Forester to serve as Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Michigan. It states, among other things and in summary, that this Convention believes significant questions have been raised regarding the Rev. Forester’s faithfulness to the Doctrine of the Trinity as it is defined and articulated in the Nicene Creed; and because of those questions, the Convention recommends that the Bishop and Standing Committee withhold its consent to the consecration of the Rev. Forrester to the office of Bishop in the Episcopal Church.

One wonders why it is necessary to introduce resolutions such as these which are rooted in basic tenets of our Church. The fact that they are considered important enough to be voted on as resolutions by the Convention reminds me that now we cannot take our beliefs for granted, even within our Church.

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Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, * South Carolina, Episcopal Church (TEC), TEC Diocesan Conventions/Diocesan Councils