In October, after more than two centuries as a founding member of the national Episcopal Church, the Diocese of South Carolina disaffiliated itself from the national church after the national church charged Bishop Mark Lawrence with abandonment.
St. Paul’s decided to remain with the Diocese of South Carolina.
“We have been anticipating the possibility of this for at least the past year and a half,” [Mike] Lumpkin said.
He said there were full congregational meetings in December 2011 and then in the spring of 2012 to keep parishioners apprised as the drama ramped up.
“We are less and less comfortable with what the Episcopal Church holds up as authoritative,” he said.
