“We’re of course delighted and looking forward to Mark’s leadership in our diocese and glad to be able to get on with our mission, which is very simply to spread the Gospel and make disciples,” said the Rev. J. Haden McCormick, president of the standing committee of the Diocese of South Carolina. McCormick headed up the process of seeking and gathering consents from the standing committees.
McCormick described the 56 majority consent votes received so far as “solid” and “certified by the national chancellor,” and said other consents were forthcoming. The validity of the standing committees’ majority consent is unquestionable, he said.
“I think there’s a sense of relief in the diocese because it’s been a long, hard slog for a lot of faithful people,” said [Kendall] Harmon, who added that “there’s a sense of sobriety” around the complicated election process.
“It’s a serious matter when someone as gifted and highly qualified as Mark takes this much work to confirm,” he said. “It simply is one more manifestation of a church that is in a very serious state of struggle at this time.”