In this final week of Advent, as I’m trying to focus my heart and mind on the glorious celebration of Christ’s birth, I’m finding my thoughts diverted away from the incarnation to issues concerning the recent verdict and order in the trial of Bishop Stewart Ruch.
I know many of you are in the same place. I get it.
There are plenty of questions and concerns about the way the trial was handled, what was and was not included, and what was implied in the order. Those of us in diocesan leadership are attending closely and have already been working on how we might respond.
That said, while the administrative and canonical challenges of our province are significant, we have to remember that they are not “the main thing.”
As we come to Christmastide, I am urging you—as your bishop—to set these concerns aside for a brief season….
The Bishop of the #Anglican Diocese of #southcarolina–'There are plenty of questions and concerns about the way the trial was handled, what was and was not included, and what was implied in the order. Those of us in diocesan leadership are attending closely and have already been… pic.twitter.com/mKB4EVKT2F
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) December 19, 2025