Meanwhile, the Diocese of South Carolina’s former chancellor, Thomas T. Tisdale, has sent a series of letters to its current chancellor, Wade H. Logan III, regarding four other parishes, some of which have distanced themselves from the Episcopal Church.
In the letters, which he began sending on Jan. 25, Tisdale identified himself as “South Carolina counsel for the Episcopal Church.” Bishop Lawrence challenged this description in an open letter to the diocese on Feb. 9 [PDF].
“He may be an attorney retained by the Chancellor for the Presiding Bishop, but it is hardly accurate in regards to the polity of this Church to claim to be an attorney of The Episcopal Church, as if the parishes, Standing Committee, and Bishop of South Carolina are somehow something other than The Episcopal Church,” the bishop wrote.
With regard to the first part of this article, people need to understand that the source of the petition to the U.S. Supreme Court is some parishioners at the parish in question, NOT the diocese of South Carolina.
The article is misleading about this because it fails to distinguish between the “parties” in the initial lawsuit (many years ago now) brought by the original parish against the diocese, and this current petition which is brought by some parishioners in the current parish.
I intended no misleading, Kendall. Rather, I could not find a concise way to explain some particularly byzantine details of a dispute that has been kept alive by multiple parties, for multiple reasons, for multiple years.
I consider it to Bishop Lawrence’s great credit that he has declined to join the conflict.
I won’t be surprised to learn that SCOTUS says NO to the writ…..if they even agree to hear the argument.
SOUTH CAROLINA’S FORMER CHANCELLOR? This errr..ummm…. person used to work for the Diocese as, one presumes, a confidant of the Bishop and Standing Committee and NOW works for Mrs Jefforts Schori? Is this not ipso facto unethical, or as I learned at law school my first year, res ipsa loquitur.
Ethics? Like Canons?
I think the title says it all. From the title alone, it sounds like 815 is certainly wanting more lawsuits to emerge. I certainly hope the SCOTUS has the sense to turn this writ down so quick it makes your head spin.
#4 and #5, Yep… but why let a silly thing like ethics get in the way when lawsuits accomplish much so effectively. Here is an interesting tidbit, I found out about Mr. Tisdale. The Church of the Holy Cross, Statesburg hired Mr. Tisdale to represent them in a lawsuit against Orkin and Terminix regarding the severe termite damage in their building. So far, this has been pushed all the way to SC Supreme Court. Interesting,no??
Actually, if the SCOTUS accepts and rules in favor of AMiA then the Dennis can(n)on would be toast in all states.
I thought that the deadline to appeal this ruling had passed on Tuesday Feb. 16?
#8, the appeal was filed: http://accurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2010/02/all-saints-waccamaw-episcopal-vestry.html