The Sandford St Martin Trust has welcomed the review by the Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, of the BBC’s Royal Charter, but recommended reinstatement of the Corporation’s obligations to represent the UK’s diverse belief communities.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Trust called for “formal opportunities for representatives of faith communities to participate meaningfully in the public consultation as part of the Charter Review”.
It also urged the BBC to commit itself to commissioning and making available “programming and content that reflect the full diversity” of the UK. It cited 2023 Ofcom data, which included the finding of a 42-per-cent decline between 2010 and 2022 in the time devoted to religion and ethics programmes by public-service broadcasting networks.
“This included near-zero provision from Channels 4 or 5, raising concerns about religious literacy, cultural understanding and representation,” the Trust said.
The @sandfordawards has welcomed the review by the Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, of the BBC’s Royal Charter, but recommended reinstatement of the Corporation’s obligations to represent the UK’s diverse belief communities#BBC#RoyalCharter#DonaldTrumphttps://t.co/Jl7np1og8c
Bishop David Bryan Steps Down as Assisting Bishop of the ADOSC
Following the recent developments in the Provincial Office, Bishop David Bryan has been named Acting Bishop of the Diocese of the Carolinas and, as a result, has resigned as Assisting Bishop for the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina. Bishop Edgar had invited Bishop Bryan, with whom he had had a 30+ year relationship as friends and colleagues, to serve on our staff beginning in January of this year. “I’m sad about this on behalf of our diocese,” wrote Bishop Edgar in a note accepting Bishop Bryan’s resignation. “We will pray for you and the Diocese of the Carolinas. I’m grateful for you and your service to us in the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, and for our friendship over the years.” Bishop Mark Lawrence, our Bishop Emeritus, will continue assisting with visitations, and, along with Bishop Edgar, will cover those scheduled for 2026.
The St. Alban’s Retreat, which was held earlier this month, ended, as it usually does, with baptisms in cold mountain water and creekside first communions. Fifteen men and women were baptized this year by the Rev. Dr. Rob Sturdy, St. Alban’s Chaplain. “I’m more than thankful to be able to work with these exceptional young people and to share with them the authenticity, integrity, love, and grace of Jesus,” wrote Rob. “Thanks to everyone who helps make it possible!” Please pray for our new brothers and sisters in Christ as they venture home for Thanksgiving, that their fire for the Lord brings new faithfulness to the people they meet along the way and that their families would notice the changes in their hearts in profound ways.
The Rev. Jeff Jacobs, his wife Kristin and their children are adjusting to a significant transition. On July 7 their family moved from Egypt to Tunisia where Jeff will serve as the chaplain to the newly elected Bishop of North Africa, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Ashley Null. In a note to supporters, Jeff asked for prayer, stating, “This is our first time moving somewhere without someone to ‘catch’ us. We’ll be finding our own house, car, schools, and more while learning another language.” Jeff will serve as chaplain to Bishop Ashley, helping build diocesan structures from the ground up: creating a framework for ministry; coordinating churches in four countries, and establishing training, catechesis, and pastoral practices.
If you’d like to support the Jacobs in this transition, please click here.
The national media are failing to look beyond “traditional streams” of the Church and struggle to describe “contemporary” expressions of Christianity, a new report suggests.
There is “still a deep misunderstanding of contemporary expressions of faith and the value those within the Christian community can add to meaningful public discourse”, it says.
The report, Christianity in the Media 2025, published on Wednesday, was commissioned by Jersey Road, a communications agency that works with Christian organisations. During the 12 months from December 2023 to November 2024, it used the professional media-monitoring platform Agility PR Solutions to identify and collate online news articles from UK media specifically relating to Christianity. Each week, the 100 articles with the most impressions or potential views was chosen, and this produced a total of 5200 stories.
"The national media are failing to look beyond “traditional streams” of the Church and struggle to describe “contemporary” expressions of Christianity, a new report suggests"
Katie Freer to Serve As Director of Women’s Ministries at St. Philip’s Church, Charleston
Katie Freer has accepted a call to serve as the Director of Women’s Ministries, a newly created position, at St. Philip’s Church in Charleston. In a note to the congregation the Rector, the Rev. Jeff Miller, wrote, “It has long been my desire to provide the women of St. Philip’s with the same level of leadership, encouragement, and spiritual guidance that has helped our men’s ministries thrive. To that end, and with the enthusiastic approval of our Vestry, I am thrilled to announce the creation of a new staff position: Director of Women’s Ministries. Beginning this September, Katie Freer will join the staff in this important role. Katie is no stranger to St. Philip’s. Raised in our parish, she is a graduate of Ashley Hall and Davidson College. She brings with her a wealth of experience in Christian education and children’s ministry, and her life is marked by deep faith and a joyful commitment to serving the Lord. She is the wife of Daniel and the mother of four wonderful children, and she embodies the grace, wisdom, and energy we had hoped to find in this role.
On Saturday April 26, the parishioners of Christ Church Anglican in Mt. Pleasant joined members of the Building Committee for a Prayer Walk on the property where the new church will be built. Approximately 50 parishioners of all ages heard a Bible reading, recited a psalm, and offered prayers by crosses which had been placed in key locations corresponding to the future campus.
Bishop Allison’s Book Recognized in 100 Classics
The Right Rev. C. FitzSimons Allison’s most recent book, Trust in an Age of Arrogance, was recently recognized by Dr. Robert Yost, Emeritus Vice President of Academic Affairs at Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary, in his new book 100 Christian Classics – A Literary Bucket List for the Thoughtful Christ-Follower. Dr. Yost says, “I can guarantee that you will not be the same after reading it. You may, indeed, finish it on your knees.”
"I started this book in an arm chair and finished it on my knees. Here is a rich treasury of insights and observations from a life well lived and thought, one that adds up to a profound and moving testimony to the wonder of the gospel and God's grace." –Os Guinness #books… pic.twitter.com/HkhnDyj7Rh
The Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF) is reaching out to ACNA churches in wildfire affected California communities to learn their current needs. Our prayers are with churches especially in the Diocese of C4SO as they have been directly affected. Other churches in the Diocese of Western Anglicans are also facing evacuation notices and power outages. Donate and learn more.
The Newspaper round in Velyka Pysarivka can be sketchy. Barely 3km from the Russian border, the village is stalked by death. Oleskiy and Natalia Pasyuga, the husband-and-wife duo behind the Vorskla (the weekly takes its name from the local river) have a survival algorithm. Oleksiy, 56, drives. Natalia, 53, listens out of the passenger window for the drones that grow stealthier with every day. They say they are careful, though they know they are kidding themselves. Delivering the paper to the last remaining residents of the village is not a rational exercise, but a love affair. The tears of subscribers make it worth it, Ms Pasyuga says: “They grab the paper and hold it to their nose to smell the fresh newsprint.”
For its 2,500 readers, the Vorskla is more than a news source; it is a connection to the outside world. Most of Ukraine’s border villages now have no electricity or mobile connection. When televisions work, they pick up Russian channels. The Pasyugas say they feel obliged to stay to debunk the propaganda, though they evacuated their offices from Velyka Pysarivka in March after a glide bomb smashed their car and half the building. Six months later the Russians destroyed the other half, during attacks that coincided with Ukraine’s advance into Russia’s Kursk province just to the north. Now the Vorskla is put together in a library in the nearby town of Okhtyrka. It is printed and hand delivered to front-line villages in a car the couple borrow from their son.
When your correspondent calls, the Pasyugas are preparing a special Christmas issue. They already know what they want: uplifting stories to raise the morale of their weary readers. For once, there will be no obituaries of the local boys lost in battle. The Kursk offensive will be left out too, though that is less unusual. The Pasyugas say they know “too much” to accept the official celebration of the offensive as “Ukraine’s great and only triumph of 2024”. They choose silence instead.
Art Cashin, UBS’ director of floor operations at the New York Stock Exchange and a man The Washington Post called “Wall Street’s version of Walter Cronkite,” has died. He was 83 and had been a regular on CNBC for more than 25 years.
In the intensely competitive and often vicious world of stock market commentary, Cashin was that rarest of creatures: a man respected by all, bulls and bears, liberals and conservatives alike. He seemed to have almost no enemies.
He was a great drinker and raconteur, a teller of stories.
For decades, he assembled a group of like-minded friends every day after trading halted, first at the bar at the NYSE luncheon club, then across the street at Bobby Van’s Steakhouse, where the group came to be known as the “Friends of Fermentation.” His drink was Dewar’s, always on the rocks.
Art Cashin, @NYSE fixture for decades, dies at age 83. In the intensely competitive world of stock market commentary, he was that rarest of all creatures: a man respected by all. He was a great drinker and a great teller of stories, and a great friend. https://t.co/I9aKn0QnL8
The Diocese continues to mobilize, providing relief to those affected by Hurricane Helene. We are working closely with ARDF to coordinate efforts. Are you willing to donate supplies or funds or volunteer in relief efforts?
More than 20 clergy and laity from our Diocese attended the ACNA Provincial Assembly held at the end of June, where we worshipped, conducted the business of the province, and witnessed the passing of authority to the new Archbishop, Steve Wood.
“I loved being here,” said Janice Breazeale, a delegate from St. Matthew’s, Fort Motte. “It was a wonderful experience. The thing that amazed me more than anything is how much Archbishop Foley had accomplished in 10 years.”
Delegate Justin Johnson, who is the Director of Camp Jubilee, said, “The best part, for me, was the ability to reconnect with old friends from around the province, to make new friendships, to hear what the Lord is doing in other places outside of our diocese, and to be reminded of how diverse the Kingdom of the Lord is.” Look for additional news and reflections in an upcoming Jubilate Deo. View a photo album.
A New Season for Holy Trinity Anglican and St. John’s Chapel
Beginning August 18, the people of Holy Trinity, Windemere will begin worshipping with the community of St. John’s Chapel on Hanover Street. The Revd David Dubay will lead the united congregations in discerning a new future together that will include outreach to the Hispanic community in downtown Charleston. The Bishop and Standing Committee have worked with all parties to discern a path forward that it is believed will lead to renewed and fruitful ministry for all. Please keep them in your prayers as they begin this next season of life together.
“When you look back at the history of Premier, you can see the various times in which Peter’s energy and his drive were the defining things that either kept Premier going or helped it go to the next level,” said Premier’s deputy CEO Kevin Bennett, who has been acting as CEO since Peter went on sick leave. Bennett led the tributes that have poured in from Premier’s friends, supporters, readers and listeners.
“I hope Peter will be remembered as a man who was utterly committed to the task that God set before him; a man who never looked back for one moment after putting his hands to the plough and pressed on continuously, relentlessly, with the singular goal to reach as many people as possible with the good news of Jesus. For all the things he’s done; for all the things he’s achieved, I hope he’s remembered for his heart, his mission and his ministry above all else.”
“Peter has been a brave and outspoken advocate for many, and his legacy is one that will continue to impact the life of the Church across Britain and farther afield for many years to come,” said His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos OBE, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London and Papal Legate to the UK. “His infectious enthusiasm and uncontrollable energy have been an inspiration to many and he will continue to live in our hearts and in our memories.”
Peter Kerridge transformed a small start-up radio station into one of the most significant Christian media networks in the world. He will be remembered as a vis…
For more than a year, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray has warned about a wave of election interference that could make 2016 look cute. No respectable foreign adversary needs an army of human trolls in 2024. AI can belch out literally billions of pieces of realistic-looking and sounding misinformation about when, where and how to vote. It can just as easily customize political propaganda for any individual target. In 2016, Brad Parscale, Donald Trump’s digital campaign director, spent endless hours customizing tiny thumbnail campaign ads for groups of 20 to 50 people on Facebook. It was miserable work but an incredibly effective way to make people feel seen by a campaign. In 2024, Brad Parscale is software, available to any chaos agent for pennies. There are more legal restrictions on ads, but AI can create fake social profiles and aim squarely for your individual feed. Deepfakes of candidates have been here for months, and the AI companies keep releasing tools that make all of this material faster and more convincing.
Almost 80 percent of Americans think some form of AI abuse is likely to affect the outcome of November’s presidential election. Wray has staffed each of the FBI’s 56 field offices with at least two election-crime coordinators. He has urged people to be more discerning with their media sources. In public, he’s the face of chill. “Americans can and should have confidence in our election system,” he said at the International Conference on Cyber Security in January. Privately, an elected official familiar with Wray’s thinking told me the director is in a middle manager’s paradox: loads of responsibility, limited authority. “[Wray] keeps highlighting the issue, but he won’t play politics, and he doesn’t make policy,” that official said. “The FBI enforces laws. The director is like, ‘Please ask Congress where the laws are.’”
Gift Article Why this year’s election interference could make 2016 look cute The first big AI crisis isn’t some hypothetical far off in the future. It’s coming on Election Day. Opinion By Josh @Tyrangiel May 30, 2024 at 7:30 a.m. EDT https://t.co/tVtkR6qJMe
In another investigation, [Marshall] Allen reported that Dignity Health, a large religious health system that described itself as carrying on “the healing ministry of Jesus,” had refused to cover the medical expenses of an employee’s three-month-premature baby. Dignity claimed the woman hadn’t filled out the necessary paperwork and that she bore sole responsibility for a nearly $1 million hospital bill, though she had enrolled her baby with the insurer from the NICU.
After Allen called the company with questions, Dignity reversed its decision and retroactively covered the baby, who survived.
“Some people might think that Christians are supposed to be soft and acquiescent rather than muckrakers who hold the powerful to account,” he wrote in The New York Times. “But what I do as an investigative reporter is consistent with what the Bible teaches.”
Allen argued that the Bible “teaches that people are made in the image of God and that each human life holds incredible value.”
A Christian journalist, he said, should be comforted by God to be a comfort to others. A Christian journalist should rebuke deception and unfair practices. A Christian journalist should get all sides of the story, in line with Proverbs’ call for hearing multiple witnesses. And a Christian journalist should admit and correct mistakes with humility. He also shared this vision of Christian journalism in lectures to journalism students at The King’s College.
“He saw this work as redemptive and Christian in nature,” said Paul Glader, a friend of Allen’s and a former journalism professor at King’s. “He did amazing work investigating the health care bureaucracy and bullies, seeking out answers and truth for the little guy—all of us consumers.”
New Youth Director for St. Paul’s Anglican in Summerville
Josh Wills has accepted a call to serve as the Director of Youth Ministries at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Summerville. Josh has been serving in youth ministry since 2017, most recently serving as the Youth and Young Adult Director of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Lexington, SC. He holds a BS in Youth Ministry, Family and Culture from Columbia International University and is getting his MDiv from the same university. He will begin at St. Paul’s Anglican in June.
When the late Federico “Fred” Mission Magbanua Jr. preached a radio sermon on offering one’s body as a living sacrifice, he probably didn’t imagine he’d one day hear these words again as a 10,000-watt radio frequency current surged through him in a near-death accident.
It happened one night in early 1961, while Magbanua was working at the Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) gospel radio ministry. He was mulling over a job offer in the United States with a salary far greater than what he currently made as an FEBC engineer and as a pastor of a small Baptist church.
Suddenly, the warning lights on the 308-foot radio tower went out. Magbanua loaded some new bulbs into a bag and began climbing the structure. From his home nearby, his daughters and his wife, Aliw, watched him scale the tower.
What Magbanua didn’t realize was that the grounding system—which diverts energy to the ground to prevent surges—wasn’t working. A radio frequency current “hit his head using his body as a lightning rod,” his friend Harold Sala later told God Reports. “Literally, he was being executed by the tremendous surge of electrical power.”
Journalists should not spend much of their time writing about journalism. The world is more interesting than the inky habits of the people who report on it. But this week we are making an exception, because the discovery and dissemination of information matters a lot to politics. Don’t take our word for it: “A popular government,” wrote James Madison in 1822, “without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps both.” Were Thomas Jefferson offered a choice between a government without newspapers and newspapers without a government, he said that he would choose the press (though that is probably going a bit far).
As the turmoil at America’s elite universities over antisemitism shows, creating a political culture in which people can argue constructively, disagree and compromise is not something that happens spontaneously. In media, business models, technology and culture can work together to create those conditions. They can also pull in the opposite direction. Our analysis of over 600,000 pieces of written and television journalism shows that the language of the mainstream American media has drifted away from the political centre, towards the Democratic Party’s preferred terminology and topics. That could lower the media’s credibility among conservatives.
As the country braces for next year’s election, it is worth thinking about the internal forces that deepened this rift. You can take comfort from the fact that the industry has been buffeted time and again during its long history, yet somehow survived. The worry is that today’s lurch may prove worse than any before.
The leftward leanings of America’s mainstream media undermine their ability to put the record straight. Can you have a healthy democracy without a common set of facts? https://t.co/saHG3ZVRJcpic.twitter.com/KeQN8ScUbn
Our diocesan clergy met November 6-8, 2023 at the Bonclarken Conference Center in Flat Rock, NC, for their annual retreat, with Bishop Chip Edgar as the speaker.
“This was one of the better retreats we’ve had,” said the Rev. David Dubay. “The teaching was valuable and practical, and we got a deeper insight into the direction we’re going as a diocese, both in clarity of vision and theology.”
“Bishop Edgar spoke about the effect encountering the Risen Lord had on Paul’s entire being and life,” said Deacon Joyce Harder. “Paul had mastered the Jewish way of life as well as the Torah. He had all the facts, but meeting the Lord caused Paul to view those same facts from a wholly new perspective. Completely humbled, Paul experienced and taught the church that in our weakness is God’s strength made perfect. We can become better pastors of people in our care operating out of gentle, compassionate weakness that reflects Christ’s heart of love for us in His sacrifice.”
“I didn’t realize how much I needed this clergy retreat,” said the Rev. Tripp Jeffords. “Refreshment in the mountains couldn’t have come at a better time for me! I was throughly impressed by the beauty of the Bonclarken retreat center and their fine staff. It was a great blessing to reconnect with friends and share in much needed fellowship with other clergy. Bishop Edgar’s talks on the life and ministry of St. Paul were much needed reminders of what healthy ministry looks like, lived under the power of the cross and Christ’s resurrection glory. It was an added blessing to hear Bishop Edgar share several examples of his own personal successes and failures in his many years of ordained ministry. Wonderful few days!”
The 32% of Americans who say they trust the mass media “a great deal” or “a fair amount” to report the news in a full, fair and accurate way ties Gallup’s lowest historical reading, previously recorded in 2016. Although trust in media currently matches the historical low, it was statistically similar in 2021 (36%) and 2022 (34%).
Another 29% of U.S. adults have “not very much” trust, while a record-high 39% register “none at all.” This nearly four in 10 Americans who completely lack confidence in the media is the highest on record by one percentage point. It is 12 points higher than the 2016 reading, which came amid sharp criticism of the media from then-presidential candidate Donald Trump — making the current assessment of the media the grimmest in Gallup’s history. In 2016, U.S. adults were most likely to say they had “not very much” trust (41%).
The latest poll, conducted Sept. 1-23, marks just the second time, along with last year, that the share of Americans who have no confidence at all in the media has surpassed the percentage with a great deal or fair amount of trust.
Gallup first asked this question in 1972 and has tracked it nearly every year since 1997. Trust ranged from 68% to 72% in three readings in the 1970s, and though it had declined by the late 1990s, it remained at the majority level until 2004, when it fell to 44%. After rebounding slightly to 50% in 2005, it has not risen above 47% since.
The 32% of Americans who say they trust the mass media “a great deal” or “a fair amount” to report the news in a full, fair and accurate way ties Gallup’s lowest historical reading, previously recorded in 2016. https://t.co/2QYhLCqFJN
The Parish Church at Habersham, Beaufort, is delighted to welcome the Diocese to join them in a groundbreaking for their new church on October 28, at 1:00 p.m. Bishop Chip Edgar and the Rev. Jamie Sosnowski will be speaking at this momentous event for the church. Although the ceremony will begin at 1:00, please arrive by 12:45 to get set up. A reception with light refreshments will follow the ceremony. Attendees should bring a chair for seating. Please RSVP by clicking here.
The Parish Church at Habersham, #SouthCarolina, to Break Ground The Parish Church at Habersham, #Beaufort, is delighted to welcome the Diocese to join them in a groundbreaking for their new church on October 28, at 1:00 p.m. Bishop Chip Edgar and the Rev. Jamie Sosnowski will be… pic.twitter.com/eJtj7FqlZu
We recently shared that an Anglican campus ministry was newly launched at The College of Charleston. This new ministry has a name, Campus Communion. Curious about ways to partner with Campus Communion or how to stay in the loop? Make sure you subscribe to the newsletter from Taylor Daniel, ADOSC campus minister. You can read his first full update here and don’t forget, subscribe!
Anglican Leadership Institute Convenes September 6
The Anglican Leadership Institute (ALI), which was born of a vision cast by Bishop Mark Lawrence, will begin its 11th session on September 6. Since the initial session in 2016, 151 Fellows have graduated from the Institute which brings emerging Anglican leaders together for a unique learning experience in principles of leadership built upon the foundation of Anglican Formularies and the Jerusalem Declaration. This session, which will meet at the FOCUS Study Center in Massachusetts, will bring together 15 participants (pictured below) from 12 different countries. Read more.
The Latest Edition of the #Anglican Diocese of #SouthCarolina Enewsletter–'The Anglican Leadership Institute (ALI), which was born of a vision cast by Bishop Mark Lawrence, will begin its 11th session on September 6. Since the initial session in 2016, 151 Fellows have… pic.twitter.com/mL4eqphGEk
Saint John’s Anglican, John’s Island’s One-year Celebration: “We Worship Unrestrained”
On July 16, St. John’s Anglican Church, Johns Island, celebrated – yes, celebrated – their one-year anniversary meeting in Haut Gap Middle School with worship, reflection, praise and an “incredible” BBQ luncheon. “The mood at our one-year celebration was joyful,” says Rector, the Rev. Jeremy Shelton. “We reflected on the faithfulness of the Lord over this last year. The day was hopeful – we continue to look forward to participating in the building of God’s kingdom on John’s Island. We remain expectant – In God’s timing we will have a permanent worship space, and in the meantime, we will continue to worship Him unrestrained.” See photos.
Wilkinson Returns as Director of Music at St. Michael’s
Matthew Wilkinson recently accepted the position as the Director of Music at St. Michael’s Church, Charleston. In a note to the congregation, the Rector, the Rev. Al Zadig wrote, It is my pleasure to announce the return of Matthew Wilkinson as our Director of Music. Many of you remember Matthew who served faithfully as our Director of Music from August, 2014, through December, 2019, leaving to pursue God’s call for Master and Doctorate degrees. His first Sunday with us will be September 3rd. Matthew, his wife, Melanie, and their daughter, Annika, will be available for you to meet after each worship service on September 3rd. Please help us welcome them back to St. Michael’s Church. There is much to know about the Wilkinson family since they have been gone; including their time living and traveling through Europe and most recently their experience with Christ Church, Plano.”
