Thank God that courts are now beginning to see through the artificial complexity of TEC’s arguments. Comments by the judge in the Ft. Worth litigation stated the obvious, and now that is reinforced by the South Carolina Supreme Court. The finding would seem to say that any Episcopal congregation with clear title to their property in the Diocese of Upper South (USC) or South Carolina could walk away, if they followed some easy to understand guidelines embedded in the decision. In the Diocese of Upper South Carolina, the question for an orthodox Anglican Episcopal Church might well be, why would they stay? Yes, the Second Coming is promised and waited upon with hopeful anticipation among the faithful. Other than that, are they hopeful that they can elect an orthodox bishop for USC? If they did, it seems unlikely that the new bishop would secure confirmation from TEC, unless he/she somehow bound the diocese in perpetuity to TEC, something the bishop alone doesn’t have the authority to do.
While the legal precedent has been set that any parish in either diocese in South Carolina could leave and possibly take their property with them depending on how the tittle is written, it is a much different situation to be actually considering that possibility.
Whether the diocese leaves or stays is not the decision of one person but that of all the delegates. The angst is beginning to be felt here. Yes, we all need prayer and we need to pray “Thy will be done”.