I hereby certify that the following are true copies of the Resolutions adopted by the 215th Meeting of the Convention of the Diocese of South Carolina at the North Charleston Convention Center on March 4-5, 2005.
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Michael Ridgill, Convention Secretary
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED
R-1
Offered by: The Rev. Dow Sanderson, Chair Ms. Delores Miller
The Rev. Ben Smith Mr. Bill Martin
The Rev. Colton Smith Mr. Jonathan Poston
The Rev. Shay Gaillard Mr. Geoff Place
The Rev. Kent Walley Mr. Lonnie Hamilton
The Rev. Jack Nietert Ms. Dorothy Carter
The Rev. David Williams
Subject: Recommendations of the Reconciliation Commission
Whereas, we recognize one another as sinners for whom Christ died;
Therefore be it resolved that this 215th Annual Convention of the Diocese of South Carolina affirms and commends the Windsor Report to the parishes and missions of this Diocese as a model for reconciliation within the Anglican Communion and within the life of this Diocese;
Be it further resolved that all members of this Diocese repent of the ways that we have failed to honor Christ’s presence in one another and recognize our interdependence in the Body of Christ;
Be it further resolved that we call upon all members, laity and clergy, to engage in a process or reconciliation through study, prayer and listening to observations, reflections and commendations of the Windsor Report and to one another within and across parochial boundaries;
And be it further resolved that this Diocese honor the moratoria, as expressed in the Windsor Report, 1) the consecration of all candidates to the episcopate who are engaged in same-sex relationships until such time as a consensus emerges within the Anglican Communion, 2) the blessing of same-sex relationships, 3) and having confidence in the process called for by the primates, we will neither encourage nor initiate cross-boundary interventions by bishops who are not authorized by the local diocesan.
R-2
Offered by: The Georgetown Deanery of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina
Subject: Denunciation and a Call to Action against the evil of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Whereas, the evil of domestic violence and sexual assault violate the dignity of individuals
and tear at the fabric of our communities, and
Whereas, South Carolina ranked #1 two years ago and now ranks #6 in the nation for the number of women killed per capita by abusive men, and Charleston and Horry counties (part of our diocese) rank 1 and 2 in our state for the number of reported incidents of domestic violence per capita, and
Whereas, the effects of domestic violence and sexual assault can be found in all walks of life, but especially our schools and places of worship as children act out their bottled up emotional and/or physical trauma, and
Whereas, as a Diocese we have a duty to work for the protection of the weak, the downtrodden, and the powerless, to name this evil in our society and to call upon other communities of faith, especially the Christians, to join us in publicly condemning and denouncing this sin in our Diocese and the State of South Carolina as a whole; therefore be it
Resolved, that the 215th Convention of the Diocese of South Carolina call upon all clergy, vestries and congregations to get involved in the fight against this societal evil by inviting experts to help us explore ways in which we can be of practical and spiritual support to victims and, if necessary, a safe place for victims to come in order to be referred; and be it further
Resolved, that because of the seriousness of this problem, the deaneries are hereby strongly encouraged to host, and the clergy be encouraged to attend, seminars addressing the ways we can support victims of crime, especially domestic violence and sexual assault, and to assist them to recognize victims and refer them for help.
R-3
Offered by: The Rev. Canon Dr. Kendall Harmon
Subject: Affirmation of the Diocese of South Carolina of its Intention to Live as a Diocesan Member of the Anglican Communion.
Whereas, the preamble to the constitution of the Episcopal Church declares that we are a “constituent member” of the worldwide Anglican Communion and
Whereas, as part of our goodly heritage, the Diocese of South Carolina and the other original dioceses of the Episcopal Church were begun with a commitment, as laid down in the preface of the 1789 Book of Common Prayer, that we were “far from intending to depart from the Church of England in any essential point of doctrine, discipline, or worship;” and
Whereas, the General Synod of the Church of England recently overwhelmingly passed a motion which welcomed “the report from the House [of Bishops] (GS 1570) accepting the principles set out in the Windsor Report;” and
Whereas, Bishop Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham, introduced the General Synod motion on the Windsor Report by declaring that the document is “the unanimous product of a widely representative body, and constitutes the only viable way forward for the Anglican Communion at this juncture” and
Whereas, the Primates of the Anglican Communion in their February 24, 2005, communiqué wrote that “We welcome the general thrust of the Windsor Report as offering a way forward for the mutual life of our [Anglican] Communion;”
Therefore be it resolved, That the Diocese of South Carolina gives thanks for the communion we share in Christ, offered to us in this fellowship of Anglican churches around the world, and rooted in the common life of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and
Be it further resolved, that diocese of South Carolina declares its intention to live in the twenty-first century, as it has in the past, as a constituent member of the global Anglican family, and
Be it further resolved, that the Diocese of South Carolina affirms the general thrust of the Windsor Report, and in particular its affirmation of the principle of autonomy-in-communion, as a way of living out our common life based upon our mutual responsibility and interdependence with our sister and brother Anglicans throughout the world, and
Be it further resolved, that the Diocese of South Carolina hereby commits itself to a life worthy of the communion we share; avoiding decisions of our own which would break our relations with others, submitting to common counsel within the Anglican Communion on matters which impact the larger body, nourishing the marks of our common identity, respecting the instruments that maintain our unity, and seeking amongst one another a common mind in Christ.
R-4
Offered by: The Rev. Canon Dr. Kendall Harmon
Subject: A Plea for Specific Compliance with the Preliminary Calls of the Windsor Report
Whereas, The Windsor Report solemnly warns that “should the call to halt and find ways of continuing our communion not be heeded,” the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion “shall have to begin to learn to walk apart (paragraph 157),” and
Whereas, the Primates of the Anglican Communion, who recently met in Ireland in February, 2005, declared “We welcome the general thrust of the Windsor Report as offering a way forward for the mutual life of our Communion;”
Be it now therefore resolved that the Diocese of South Carolina immediately asserts its desire to live as a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion in accordance with the calls of the Windsor Report by:
-expressing our regret that the bonds of affection of the Anglican Communion were breached by the consent to, and consecration of, a man in a non-celibate relationship with another man as Bishop of New Hampshire, and our regret for the consequences which followed; and
-expressing our regret that the bonds of affection of the Anglican Communion were breached by a General Convention resolution (C051) which has let more dioceses to experiment with the use of rites for same sex blessing, and our regret for the consequences which followed; and
-expressing our plea that any bishop who is unable to express the two aforementioned regrets in the terms of the Windsor Report would withdraw from their representative functions in the Anglican Communion in order to enable healing; and
-expressing our commitment to a moratorium on the ordination of any person to any order who is in a sexual relationship other than holy matrimony, and a moratorium on the blessing of any same sex union; and
Be it further resolved, that the Diocese of South Carolina urges the March 21005 House of Bishops meeting, through a mind of the House resolution, to do the same; and
Be it further resolved, that the Diocese of South Carolina urges that the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church make the same commitment as soon as possible, in order to give the rest of the global Anglican family an affirmative answer to the Windsor Report question: “Do we really want unity within the Anglican Communion?” (paragraph 66).
R-5
Offered by: The clergy of St. Helena’s Episcopal Church
The Rev. Frank Limehouse
The Rev. Jeffrey Miller
The Rev. Mark Avera
The Rev. Robert Batts
Subject: Diocesan acknowledgment of guilt and repentance
Whereas, The Diocese of South Carolina is a constituent member of the Episcopal Church; and
Whereas, sin, like leaven, affects the entire lump such that sin within the parts of a corporate body brings guilt to the whole body (e.g. Joshua 7:1, Cor. 5:6ff, Gal 5:9); and
Whereas, The Episcopal Church has erred and strayed from the clear teaching of the Scriptures and has deliberately acted in ways repugnant to the will and teaching of the Church – both the past community of the faithful (tradition) and the present community (the bodies of Anglican unity) – by consecrating a practicing homosexual to the episcopate and by allowing for the blessing of same sex unions against the urgent counsel of the greater Anglican Communion,
Be it resolved that we, the Diocese of South Carolina, acknowledge our guilt in the deplorable crisis facing our church. We confess that we have been lax in contending for the faith and the authority of Scriptures and that we have preferred “peace” more than faithfulness to our shame and our Lord’s dishonor. We have sinned against God and against the Body of Christ and we do hereby repent.
Be it further resolved, that the Convention of the Diocese of South Carolina complete a public act of repentance before adjournment this day and further recommend it to our congregations.
