Category : * Christian Life / Church Life

South Carolina Bishop Chip Edgar’s Directive For Clergy Regarding Social Media

Social media interactions are, by definition, public and social, and not private. Clergy are held to a
higher standard of responsibility in their use of these platforms. Being clergy is an honor, privilege,
and responsibility that comes with influence, but also requires discretion and often sacrifice of our
rights, obligating us to wise self-censorship and self-control. I expect all social media posts by our
clergy to adhere to the highest standard of Christian decorum. All that we do reflects on our Lord,
His Church, our Diocese, and our ministry.
To that end, I first offer five (edited) questions that Archbishop Emeritus Foley Beach requires his
diocese to ask before posting anything…

  1. Is it the truth? Along with that, ask: Why is it my responsibility to speak this truth or address
    this situation?
  2. Have I talked to the person before I post about the person?
  3. Will it benefit all concerned?
  4. Do my words reflect well on Jesus Christ and on His Church?
  5. Will I someday need to apologize and confess what I have written as a sin?
    These helpful questions can serve as a beginning point and a filter for online interactions. From
    there, I offer a few wise policies, developed by my friend and fellow bishop, Alex Farmer, for the
    clergy of the Gulf Atlantic Diocese. (Again, I have edited these for our situation.)
  6. Never post, repost, favorably comment on, or like content that reflects poorly on Christ
    Jesus and his Church, other clergy, or yourself.
  7. Follow the same rules of courtesy and mature behavior you would observe in any face-toface interaction.
  8. Think about consequences and how your message might be perceived before you post.

Read it all.

Posted in * South Carolina, --Social Networking, Blogging & the Internet, Ethics / Moral Theology, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry, Pastoral Theology, Science & Technology

South Carolina Bishop Chip Edgar’s recent Diocesan Convention address

First, after five years, a verdict was reached in the trial of Bp Ruch, (Diocese of the Upper Midwest). Our diocese was drawn into that fray last summer, and again in December when verdict was issued, as one of our own, Mr. Alan Runyan, both a hero to us and a godly man, was unfairly denigrated during the proceedings and then again in the final, 71-page verdict.


Having called for an independent audit of all the matters related to the trial, including the trial proceedings themselves, our Standing Committee was compelled to raise concerns with the verdict (to be clear, not with the ruling, we know that is not in our purview) to ensure that these proceedings be included in the audit.

I’m pleased to report that, so far, the ACNA’s executive committee has responded to us largely positively and I am hopeful. We’ll know more from them in the coming week, and we’ll be reporting to you as of March 23rd, or a day or two after.


Throughout all of that, our goal has been that given we have upcoming prominent cases before the province, one including the Archbishop himself, this audit we’ve called for would be able to help restore some confidence that regardless of the outcome of those future trials, they’ll be handled appropriately.


Again, this case matters much to us as a diocese as it involves several of us who are members of the diocese who are involved in these legal proceedings. We want to do what we can as a diocese to try to ensure a fair outcome without crossing the line and tampering with that outcome.


Now, throughout all of this, I’ve heard people say from time to time they’re tired of being asked to “trust the process” when they feel that the process has already been pretty bad and let them down. I just want to say to you all, I do not ask you to trust the process. I ask you to trust the Lord of the process and the Lord of all processes. Even as this works out, knowing that his promise is true, that all things, including mishandled church processes, will under his strong and end up for the good, the true, and the just. Even if we must wait until all things are made new and everything sad is going to come out untrue.

Read it all.

Posted in * South Carolina, Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), Parish Ministry

Anglican Diocese of South Carolina Gathers in Myrtle Beach for 2026 Convention; “Becoming Mature in Christ”

Bishop Chip Edgar stressed the importance of intentional Christian formation in both his sermon and his address during the 2026 Convention of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, which was held March 13-14, in Myrtle Beach. The theme of the gathering was “Becoming Fully Mature in Christ.”  Hosted by Trinity Church and conducted at both the church, and the Marina Inn, the convention brought together more than 350 clergy and delegates from across the coastal and eastern parts of the state to hear from the Bishop, receive updates from various ministries, approve the budget, and elect individuals to serve in various offices….

Read it all and please note that you can view videos, read talks, and access other documents shared at the convention by visiting the convention resources page

Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, * South Carolina, Adult Education, Ministry of the Laity, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry

A Prayer for the day from Gordon Hewitt

O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst feed the multitude by the lakeside, using the humble gifts of a boy’s generous impulse, and a disciple’s faith in thy power: Help us in thy Church to call forth such generosity in others, and strengthen our faith that the hungry millions can be fed; for thy name’s sake.

Posted in Lent, Spirituality/Prayer

(CT) Russell Moore–Why John Perkins Stood (Almost) Alone

‘…some who rightly opposed racial inequality became suspicious of the very word reconciliation. Perkins never did. He would no sooner give up that concept than he would give up the word grace because some television evangelists had used it to excuse their latest sex scandals.

Perkins truly believed what Paul wrote:

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Cor. 5:18–19, ESV throughout)

To those who wanted to honor civil rights and care for the poor but couch their concerns in vague generalities about “the divine,” Perkins thundered, “Jesus!”

And to those who wanted to keep the Jim Crow mentality, just substituting modern complaints for the language their grandparents would use, Perkins stood with the Bible: “Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts” (James 5:4).

Perkins combined preaching the gospel, registering people to vote, advocating for justice and civil rights, and starting neighborhood initiatives to give the poor hope—not only for the life to come but also for escaping poverty now. Yet he never gave up on reconciliation, even with those who hated him.

Read it all.

Posted in Church History, Death / Burial / Funerals, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry, Race/Race Relations, Religion & Culture

A Reflection on Saint Joseph the Worker by Tarcisio Giuseppe Stramare for his Feast Day

ZENIT spoke with Father Tarcisio Giuseppe Stramare of the Congregation of Oblates of Saint Joseph, director of the Josephite Movement, about Tuesday’s feast of St. Joseph the Worker….

ZENIT: What does “Gospel of work” mean?

Father Stramare: “Gospel” is the Good News that refers to Jesus, the Savior of humanity. Well, despite the fact that in general we see Jesus as someone who teaches and does miracles, he was so identified with work that in his time he was regarded as “the son of the carpenter,” namely, an artisan himself. Among many possible activities, the Wisdom of God chose for Jesus manual work, entrusted the education of his Son not to the school of the learned but to a humble artisan, namely, St. Joseph.

Read it all.

Posted in Church History, Labor/Labor Unions/Labor Market, Theology, Theology: Scripture

A Prayer for the Feast Day of Saint Joseph

O God, who from the family of your servant David raised up Joseph to be the guardian of your incarnate Son and the spouse of his virgin mother: Give us grace to imitate his uprightness of life and his obedience to your commands; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Posted in Church History, Labor/Labor Unions/Labor Market, Marriage & Family, Spirituality/Prayer, Theology: Scripture

A prayer for the day from Frank Colquhoun

O Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who art thyself the bread of life, and hast promised that he who comes to thee shall never hunger: Grant us faith truly to partake of thee through Word and Sacrament, that we may find refreshment of spirit and be strengthened for thy service; who livest and reignest with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end.

Posted in Lent, Spirituality/Prayer

(Church Times) Church of Scotland Moderator welcomes rejection of assisted-dying Bill

The Scottish Parliament’s rejection of a Bill to legalise assisted dying has been welcomed by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Revd Rosie Frew, and by Christian campaigners in the country.

On Tuesday evening, Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) rejected, by 69 votes to 57, the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, which had been introduced by Liam McArthur MSP. The Bill sought to allow an assisted death for terminally ill adults who had decision-making capacity and had six months or less to live.

In a statement issued shortly after the vote, Ms Frew said: “I recognise that the outcome will be a disappointment to many, but it was clear that the safeguards included did not offer sufficient protection.

“We have been consistent in our position that we need to prioritise the development of excellent palliative care services that are universally available and fully funded. Without that, had the Bill passed, we would fear that many vulnerable people might have seen an assisted death as their only realistic option.”

Read it all.

Posted in * Culture-Watch, --Scotland, Aging / the Elderly, Anthropology, Death / Burial / Funerals, Ethics / Moral Theology, Health & Medicine, Law & Legal Issues, Life Ethics, Politics in General, Presbyterian [PCUSA], Religion & Culture

(Commonweal) Greg Hillis–[For his feast day] Cyril of Alexandria’s Understanding of the Baptism of Jesus

Cyril interprets this “breath of life” to be the Holy Spirit, and argues that God’s breathing of the Spirit into the first human demonstrates that we were created to exist in intimacy with God. We were created to partake of the divine nature, to participate in the divine, and so to attain the beauty of likeness with God.

Sin disrupted this intimacy. Cyril describes the fall, not as a descent into depravity and sinfulness, but as a loss of the Holy Spirit. Through the exercise of the freedom God gave us, humankind shrank from intimacy with the divine and so lost the Holy Spirit.

Cyril argues that one of the central purposes of the Incarnation was our recovery of intimacy with God through the Holy Spirit, and it is this recovery that Jesus’ baptism accomplishes. Through the Incarnation, the Son of God made man becomes the Second Adam, and at his baptism, the Second Adam receives the Holy Spirit, not for his own sake, but for the sake of all humanity.

Read it all.

Posted in Baptism, Christology, Church History, The Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Theology: Holy Spirit (Pneumatology)

A Prayer for the Feast Day of Cyril of Jerusalem

Strengthen, O Lord, we beseech thee, the bishops of thy Church in their special calling to be teachers and ministers of the Sacraments, that they, like thy servant Cyril of Jerusalem, may effectively instruct thy people in Christian faith and practice; and that we, taught by them, may enter more fully into celebration of the Paschal mystery; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Posted in Church History, Israel, Spirituality/Prayer, Theology

A prayer for the day from Frederick B. Macnutt

O Lord and heavenly Father, who hast given unto us thy people the true bread that cometh down from heaven, even thy Son Jesus Christ: Grant that our souls may so be fed by him who giveth life unto the world, that we may abide in him and he in us, and thy Church be filled with the power of his unending life; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Posted in Lent, Spirituality/Prayer

(Church Times) Mark Edwards–Faith and therapy are not at odds

When the former Archbishop of Canterbury the Rt Revd Justin Welby spoke recently about his mental health (Quotes, 6 March), his honesty was striking.

Speaking to Gyles Brandreth on the podcast Rosebud, he reflected on the failures surrounding the Church of England’s handling of abuse allegations, and revealed that he had sought professional help. “I’ve been seeing a psychotherapist for a considerable period of time, and a psychiatrist: very helpful,” he said. He went on to say that therapy was not about excusing mistakes, but about confronting them honestly: “It’s not about saying, ‘Oh, it didn’t matter,’ . . . quite the reverse. How does one live with such a failure?”

That candour should have been welcomed. Instead, it prompted a deeply damaging column in The Daily Telegraph by Celia Walden, who asked: “What’s the point of God if even Justin Welby is seeing a therapist?”

Reading her article left me shocked, distressed, and very upset at such ignorance about mental health. I felt shamed and triggered. As a serving clergyman who has lived with serious mental-health challenges, I felt guilty and embarrassed simply for seeking help. Her column was extremely damaging, heartless, and cruel, and lacked any compassion for clergy and people of faith who live with mental illness. It implied that faith alone should replace therapy: a view that is both wrong and pastorally reckless.

Read it all.

Posted in --Justin Welby, Anthropology, Church of England, Ethics / Moral Theology, Health & Medicine, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry, Pastoral Theology, Psychology, Theology

(CH) Mary Cagney–Patrick the Saint

A fleet of Currachs (longboats) weaved its way toward the shore, where a young Roman Brit and his family walked. His name was Patricius, the 16-year-old son of a civil magistrate and tax collector. He had heard stories of Irish raiders who captured slaves and took them “to the ends of the world,” and as he studied the longboats, he no doubt began imagining the worst.

With no Roman army to protect them (Roman legions had long since deserted Britain to protect Rome from barbarian invasions), Patricius and his town were unprepared for attack. The Irish warriors, wearing helmets and armed with spears, descended on the pebbled beach. The braying war horns struck terror into Patricius’s heart, and he started to run toward town.

The warriors quickly demolished the village, and as Patricius darted among burning houses and screaming women, he was caught. The barbarians dragged him aboard a boat bound for the east coast of Ireland.

Patricius, better known as Patrick, is remembered today as the saint who drove the snakes out of Ireland, the teacher who used the shamrock to explain the Trinity, and the namesake of annual parades in New York and Boston. What is less well-known is that Patrick was a humble missionary (this saint regularly referred to himself as “a sinner”) of enormous courage. When he evangelized Ireland, he set in motion a series of events that impacted all of Europe. It all started when he was carried off into slavery around 430.

Read it all.

Posted in --Ireland, Church History, Church of Ireland

A Prayer for the Feast Day of Saint Patrick

Almighty God, who in thy providence didst choose thy servant Patrick to be the apostle of the Irish people, to bring those who were wandering in darkness and error to the true light and knowledge of thee: Grant us so to walk in that light, that we may come at last to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever.

Posted in --Ireland, Church History, Church of Ireland, Spirituality/Prayer

A prayer for the day from the ACNA prayerbook

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Posted in Lent, Spirituality/Prayer

(Church Times) Lord Rook calls for greater protection for the vulnerable and the young in assisted-dying legislation

The BBC reported on Monday that 100 Labour MPs had written to the Prime Minister arguing that, if assisted dying legislation does not pass, trust in politics will be undermined.

But the Labour MP Jessica Asato, who opposes the Bill, told the BBC: “The sponsor of the Bill has rejected 99 per cent of suggested improvements and amendments in the House of Lords and so it still contains all the same faults and issues. Any MP that voted to push this Bill through would do so knowing that it is unsafe and would harm vulnerable people.”

A new Whitestone poll of more than 2000 UK adults for Care Not Killing shows that the public wants Parliament to prioritise safety over choice.

Asked if they would support a law that enabled patient choice, but was implemented in a way that put other patients and vulnerable people at risk, respondents opposed the move by 42 per cent to 35 per cent. The proportion of those who “strongly” backed putting safety over choice was more than double the proportion of those who said the opposite (26 per cent to 12 per cent).

Read it all.

Posted in * Culture-Watch, Aging / the Elderly, Anthropology, Death / Burial / Funerals, England / UK, Ethics / Moral Theology, Health & Medicine, Law & Legal Issues, Life Ethics, Politics in General, Theology

Prayers for the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina this week

Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, * South Carolina, Ministry of the Laity, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry, Spirituality/Prayer

A prayer for the day from the Mozarabic Sacramentary

Grant us, O Lord, to rejoice in beholding the bliss of the heavenly Jerusalem; that as she is the home and mother of the multitude of the saints, we also may be counted worthy to have our portion within her; through thine only begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Posted in Lent, Spirituality/Prayer

A Prayer for the Day from James Mountain

Almighty God, who has taught us in thy holy Word that the law was given by Moses, but that grace and truth came by Jesus Christ: Grant that we, being not under the law but under grace, may live as children of that Jerusalem which is above, and rejoice in the freedom of our heavenly citizenship; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

–The Rev. James Mountain (1844-1933)

Posted in Lent

A Prayer for the day from  the Pastor’s Prayerbook

 Almighty God, who lookest upon the inward man, forbid us in thy presence the vain endeavor to hide from thee what we have thought and done and truly are.  Give us candor to acknowledge freely to thee what must be forever hidden from the knowledge of others, and may no false shame keep us from confessing those sins which no proper shame kept us from committing; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

–Robert W. Rodenmayer, ed., The Pastor’s Prayerbook: Selected and arranged for various occasions (New York: Oxford University Press, 1960)

Posted in Lent, Spirituality/Prayer

A Prayer for the Feast Day of James Theodore Holly

Most gracious God, by the calling of thy servant James Theodore Holly thou gavest us our first bishop of African-American heritage. In his quest for life and freedom, he led thy people from bondage into a new land and established the Church in Haiti. Grant that, inspired by his testimony, we may overcome our prejudice and honor those whom thou callest from every family, language, people, and nation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Posted in Church History, Haiti, Spirituality/Prayer

A prayer for the day from the Euchologium Anglicanum

O Eternal God, who through thy Son our Lord hast promised a blessing upon those who hear thy Word and faithfully keep it: Open our ears, we humbly beseech thee, to hear what thou sayest, and enlighten our minds, that what we hear we may understand, and understanding may carry into good effect by thy bounteous prompting; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Posted in Spirituality/Prayer

(CH) For his feast day–Gregory I and England

Gregory I (540-604) was the first monk to become pope. He was born into the ruling class, but had given away everything he owned to become a monk. During his impressive papacy, he devoted himself to reforming the church and monasteries and to helping Italians who were suffering from famine, plague, and invasions.

Another of his lasting achievements was the conversion of Southern England. This area of Britain had been conquered by pagan Angles and Saxons, ‘the English’. But when King Ethelbert of Kent married a Christian princess, it seems Gregory saw an opening, and sent his prior Augustine (not to be confused with Augustine of Hippo, whom we have already met) to evangelize them. One story, that is not included in our excerpt from Bede, says that Gregory was inspired by the sight of some young English slaves whom he saw in Rome. Amazed by their fair hair, he asked who they were, and being told they were Angles, replied “Not Angles, but angels.”

Read it all.

Posted in Church History, England / UK, Roman Catholic

A Prayer for the Feast Day of Gregory the Great

Almighty and merciful God, who didst raise up Gregory of Rome to be a servant of the servants of God, and didst inspire him to send missionaries to preach the Gospel to the English people: Preserve in thy Church the catholic and apostolic faith they taught, that thy people, being fruitful in every good work, may receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Posted in Church History, Spirituality/Prayer

A Prayer for the day from Frank Colquhoun

Lord Christ, almighty Saviour, we cry to thee for aid against our strong enemy.  O thou who art the Stronger than the strong, deliver us, we pray thee, from the evil one, and take sole possession of our hearts and minds; that filled with thy Spirit we may henceforth devote our lives to thy service, and therein find our perfect freedom; for the honour of thy great name.

Posted in Lent, Spirituality/Prayer

A Prayer for the Feast day of Saint Kessog

Gracious God, we thank you for the life and witness of Saint Kessog, who brought the light of the Gospel to the lands of Scotland. Grant us grace that we may follow his example, be resolute in our faith even amidst great challenges, and bring peace, hope and love to everyone to whom we minister through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit ever reigns, one God over all. Amen (moved from yesterday).

Posted in --Ireland, --Scotland, Church History, Spirituality/Prayer

A Prayer for the day from Joseph Hall

O Thou who hast prepared a place for my soul, prepare my soul for that place.  Prepare it with holiness; prepare it with desire; and even while it sojourneth upon earth, let it dwell in heaven with thee, beholding the beauty of thy countenance and the glory of thy saints, now and for evermore.

Posted in Lent, Spirituality/Prayer

For Her Feast day–(The Conversation) Faith made Harriet Tubman fearless as she rescued slaves

Millions of people voted in an online poll in 2015 to have the face of Harriet Tubman on the US$20 bill. But many might not have known the story of her life as chronicled in a recent film, “Harriet.”

Harriet Tubman worked as a slave, spy and eventually as an abolitionist. What I find most fascinating, as a historian of American slavery, is how belief in God helped Tubman remain fearless, even when she came face to face with many challenges.

Read it all.

Posted in America/U.S.A., Church History, Race/Race Relations, Religion & Culture

A Prayer for the Feast Day of Harriet Tubman

O God, whose Spirit guideth us into all truth and maketh us free: Strengthen and sustain us as thou didst thy daughter Harriet Tubman. Give us vision and courage to stand against oppression and injustice and all that worketh against the glorious liberty to which thou callest all thy children; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Posted in America/U.S.A., Church History, Race/Race Relations, Religion & Culture, Spirituality/Prayer