The diocese of South Carolina’s 216th Convention met at the North Charleston Convention Center on November 9th and 10th to welcome bishop-elect Mark Lawrence and to say farewell to Edward Salmon for his faithful service to our common life since 1989.

Bishop-elect Lawrence preached a homily at the opening evening prayer service on 2 Timothy 1:7: “for God did not give us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power and love and self-control.” Later he and his wife Allison and their family were given a canoe by the diocese as a symbol of our corporate gratitude for their willingness to serve.

In his last Convention address, Bishop Salmon emphasized the importance of the episcopal office as a means of connecting the parishes, who themselves are the diocese.

The call of the diocesan support system is to equip the parishes for their work of ministry, and “how we live with, and for one another” in our common life is the witness to the gospel we claim to preach. He was given a lengthy standing ovation along with his wife Louise.

Bishop William Skilton spoke of his passion for mission and delineated many of his activities over the last year in that area of ministry in his address. He and his family we also warmly thanked by convention with a standing ovation.

In other Convention business, three resolutions were considered. One on alcohol and drug abuse policy was tabled for consideration, and another which would have changed the voting eligibility requirements for retired clergy living in the diocese was defeated.

APR Resolution Passes
The other resolution, which passed overwhelmingly, and which was submitted to Convention on a unanimous vote by the Standing Committee, reads as follows:

“Be it resolved that this 216th Convention of the Diocese of South Carolina endorse the action of the Standing Committee, taken June 28, 2006 in requesting from the Archbishop of Canterbury an Alternative Primatial Relationship.

And be it further resolved that this Convention authorize the Diocesan Bishop (with Bishop Salmon acting in his stead until the consecration of Fr. Lawrence), together with the Standing Committee and Diocesan Council, to implement the details of this request, in consultation with the Archbishop of Canterbury, his Panel of Reference, the Primates of the Communion, and the leadership and bishops of the Anglican Communion Network.”