…it was extremely disturbing to learn that on Wednesday afternoon, November 7, 2012, a majority of the clergy of the Diocese of South Carolina received an email that pretended to be from the Diocese of South Carolina but in fact was not. The sender of the email was not identified beyond an email address registered to an organization in Florida named “Domain Discreet Privacy Service”. The corresponding web page is hosted by a San Francisco organization stating: “This temporary landing page will be replaced when you publish your site.”
The email was an invitation to a “Clergy Day for the Diocese,” to be hosted at Holy Communion, Charleston and presided over by Bishop. Charles von Rosenberg (A retired bishop from Tennessee).
There are several crucial facts that need to be addressed regarding this announcement.
First, this message did not come from the Diocese of South Carolina.
I used to think that nothing the Episcopalians do could shock me any more. But after reading this letter, I thought, “You have got to be kidding me!”
Hmmm who would use a false flag to sail the ecclesiastical seas? Arrgh…it’s the Pirates of the Presiding Bishop!
Alternate reality strikes again.
Kendall, I know you probably can’t answer but I’ll take a shot anyway. Is the last part of this true?
http://anglicanink.com/article/fraudulent-email-south-carolina-clergy
Tacky, tacky!
It’s curious that the alleged meeting was to be at Holy Communion. One would expect a number of other parishes but not HC.
‘Tis also curious that clergy members of the diocese would be fooled by a ‘gmail’ address for the diocesan office, when they have gotten mail for years from the diocese at dioceseofsc.org.
Inquiring Anglicans want to know.
Chip Johnson+, SD Anglican
Chip Johnson, Absolutely correct! Not many will be fooled. It is not just clergy that receive emails from the diocese’s own email address. Us laity do too. The diocesan e-newsletter is also sent by the diocese using the diocese’s own @dioceseofsc.org email address.
WAIT! Did I not click submit? ACK! Anyway, to answer Christopher Johnson, Yes, it is true that someone (most likely either Steve Skardon or the Forum) has been encouraging lay and clergy delegates to not attend the Nov. 17th Special Convention of the diocese. I believe such information was on both Skardon’s website and the Forum’s website but has been taken down now.
Any further news on whether retired bishop von Rosenberg is prepared to comment about his part in this?
Amazing, isn’t it, what the heretics will do in order to have things their way?
Have to say, if I was a parish priest considering leaving the Diocese of SC to realign with TEC, this sort of duplicity might make me reconsider.
“if I was a parish priest considering leaving the Diocese of SC to realign with TEC, this sort of duplicity might make me reconsider.”
Let’s wait and see where it really came from. This seems so obviously bogus, and bogus in a way that would certainly come to light even if everybody initially took it at face value — I’ll be interested to see what Bp von Rosenberg has to say about his understanding of the event. It’s so ill-conceived, it almost looks like a prank.
While it is not clear exactly what (or who) is behind this thing there is no need to resort to ad hominem name calling. Retired Bishop vonRosenberg could hardly be accused of being heretical.
But dave7 in #14- if you lie down with dogs, you get fleas.
Just to make clear, my comment in #10 was not meant to cast any aspersions on +von Rosenberg, one way or another.
It is simply a matter that his name was used, and I would be interested to know what he has to say about it.
It does look alike another email went out, this time the meeting to be held at St. Marks. See Dio of SC website.
Yes, a second e-mail has gone out again to confuse the clergy. You are right #17. This time the place has been changed as Holy Communion’s Rector made it clear that this is not happening in his parish. He was told that it was to be a small group and hence even more lies and confusion.