Crosswalk by Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina

CROSSWALK THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF UPPER SOUTH CAROLINA

SUMMER 2018

Making, Equipping, and Sending Mature Disciples of Christ

Upcoming Events

Diocesan Staff

Commission on Convocations

Annual Fall Clergy Conference September 23 - 25, 2018 Kanuga - Hendersonville, NC

Eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Upper South Carolina The Right Reverend W. Andrew Waldo

Convocation Meetings:

Administrative Assistant to the Bishop Mrs. Mary Sweet 803.771.7800, ext. 102

The Diocese of Upper South Carolina is divided into five geographical areas called convocations. Each convocation is made up of specific congregations, and each has a dean (clergy person) and a lay warden. The convocation deans are appointed annually by the bishop at the annual Diocesan Convention. The lay wardens are elected by each convocation.

Foothills September 16, 2018 Redeemer - Greenville, SC Piedmont September 16, 2018 Incarnation - Gaffney, SC Catawba September 30, 2018 St. Peter's - Great Falls, SC Gravatt September 30, 2018 St. Augustine of Canterbury - Aiken, SC Midlands September 30, 2018 St. Alban's - Lexington, SC Diocesan Convention November 2 - 3, 2018 Trinity Cathedral, - Columbia, SC Happening #80 December 16 - 18, 2018 Gravatt Conference Center - Aiken, SC

For more details concerning diocesan events, please refer to the calendar found on our website: www.edusc.org. Does your church have an event that you would like advertised on a diocesan level? Please contact Courtney Thompson for more information.

Canon for Congregational Development and Administration The Reverend Deacon d’Rue Hazel 803.771.7800, ext. 107 Canon for Christian Formation, Congregational Vitality and Missional Communities The Reverend James P. Hartley 803.771.7800, ext. 104 Canon for Evangelism and Mission The Reverend Alan Bentrup, 803.771.7800, ext. 111 Director of Communications Ms. Courtney Thompson, 803.771.7800, ext. 109 Controller Ms. Anna Macdermut 803.771.7800, ext. 110 Diocesan Officer for Health Benefits, Property Insurance, and Accounts Payable Ms. Cynthia L. Hendrix 803.771.7800, ext. 112 Assistant for Congregational Development and Administration Mr. Frank Ballard 803.771.7800, ext. 106 Assistant for Christian Formation, Congregational Vitality and Missional Communities Ms. Julie Derrick, 803.771.7800, ext. 105 Administrative Assistant for Christian Formation, Finance, and Hospitality Ms. Tracy Forman 803.771.7800, ext. 101 SC Bishops' Public Education Initiative Coordinator The Reverend Susan Heath 803.771.7800, ext. 108

Catawba The Rev. Janice Chalaron The Catawba Convocation consists of the eight Episcopal churches in the counties of York, Chester, and Lancaster and York Place Episcopal Home for Children. Gravatt The Rev. Doug Puckett The Gravatt Convocation consists of the fourteen Episcopal churches, Mead Hall School and the Bishop Gravatt Center. The Gravatt convocation spans Abbeville, Aiken, Edgefield, Greenwood, McCormick, and Saluda counties. Midlands The Rev. Patricia Sexton The Midlands Convocation consists of twenty one Episcopal churches, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, The Still Hopes Retirement Community and the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Still Hopes. The Midlands convocation includes Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Newberry, and Richland counties. Piedmont Vacant The Piedmont Convocation consists of the eight Episcopal churches in Cherokee, Spartanburg, and Union counties. Foothills The Rev. Al Hipp The Foothills Convocation is made up of the thirteen Episcopal churches in Anderson, Greenville, Laurens, Oconee and Pickens counties and Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville.

THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF UPPER SOUTH CAROLINA

The Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina is made up of 61 congregations in 22 counties in the upper part of the state. The bishop of Upper South Carolina is the Rt. Rev. W. Andrew Waldo. The Diocese of Upper South Carolina is part of the 2.1-million-member Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church belongs to the worldwide Anglican Communion, 85 million members strong. We are a diocese committed to renewal, to sharing the faith that has changed our lives, and to increasing diversity among our ranks. In doing so, we celebrate and affirm the broad Anglican tradition, which welcomes seekers, embraces inquiry, and offers a wide variety of worship styles grounded and unified by the liturgy in our Book of Common Prayer.

O God, by your grace you have called us in this Diocese to a goodly fellowship of faith. Bless our Bishop Andrew Waldo, and other clergy, and all our people. Grant that your Word may be truly preached and truly heard, your Sacraments faithfully administered and faithfully received. By your Spirit, fashion our lives according to the example of your Son, and grant that we may show the power of your love to all among whom we live; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CONTENTS 11

What Do You Need to Know About General Convention?

What is a Deputy Anyway?

17 General Convention: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

27 Care of Creation: Introducing Dr. James McClintock

A Brief History of Same-Sex Marriage

Racial Reconciliation

General Convention Wrap-Up: Following the Way of Jesus Christ

31 "Why Diocesan Convention?"

SECTION ONE:

GENERAL CONVENTION

What is a Deputy Anyway? The Rev. Mike Flanagan Deputies to General Convention are elected by their diocese to serve for a three-year term. Each diocese elects four laypersons and four clergy to serve each triennium. Candidates are nominated by individuals or convocations to serve as deputies. In the Diocese of Upper South Carolina, our deputies are elected at Diocesan Convention the year after the conclusion of General Convention. The deputies that served in the 79th General Convention were elected at our 2016 convention, and will serve until our election occurs at the Diocesan Convention in 2019. This gives the deputies time to prepare for convention and time to pursue the carrying out of resolutions passed at General Convention. Your clergy deputies are: The Rev. Furman Buchanan of St. Peter's, Greenville (Chief of Deputation), The Rev. Mike Flanagan of Holy Cross, Simpsonville, The Rev. Alan Leonard of St. Margaret's, Boiling Springs, The Rev. Susan Prinz of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Columbia, and The Rev. Patricia Sexton of All Saints, Cayce (1st alternate).

Lay deputies are: Ms. Angela Daniel of St. John's Columbia, Ms. Scooty Burch of Holy Trinity, Clemson, Ms. Norah Grimball of Trinity Cathedral, Columbia, Ms. Mary Anne Park of St. Bartholomew's, North Augusta, and Ms. Regina Ratteree of All Saints, Cayce (1st alternate). Your deputies, along with the bishop and his staff liaison, make up the Commission on the Episcopal Church. We meet quarterly to prepare for the General Convention and to see that resolutions that pertain to us a diocese are acted upon by the appropriate committees and commissions. It is important to remember that we are elected as deputies, not delegates. The difference is important in that delegates represent their particular parish at a diocesan convention, while deputies are charged with weighing the information received and discussed at General Convention and then voting their conscience. You, the diocese, has entrusted us with the responsibility to discern how the Holy Spirit is moving in the church and vote for the best future of

the Episcopal Church based on discernment. We meet together, we worship together, we discuss together, and we propose resolutions that allow the Church to move forward in the "Episcopal Branch of the Jesus movement". Often times, I hear people talk about "the national church" as if it is an entity that is disconnected from the people. In truth, we are the national church. Your vote at the diocesan convention sends us out to serve as deputies. Our service at General Convetion shapes the future of the church in hopes that we are creating space for our individual parishes to be able to "Make, Equip, and Send mature disciples of Jesus Christ" into the world to love and serve the Lord. Photo: Members, deputation, and staff of EDUSC pose in Gravatt t-shirts in Austin, Texas. Back row (left to right): The Rev. Mike Flanagan, The Rev. Alan Leonard, Scooty Burch, The Rev. Furman Buchanan, Angela Daniel, The Rev. Patricia Sexton, Front row (left to right): The Rev. Canon d'Rue Hazel, Norah Grimball, Mary Anne Park, The Rev. Susan Prinz, Meredith Blocker, Regina Ratteree, Whitney Evans

What Do You Need to Know about General Convention? The Rev. Furman Buchanan One of my favorite 19th century theologians, F.D. Maurice, observed that Anglicanism is a ‘holy pandemonium.’ Those who have attended General Conventions of the Episcopal Church have described their experience of our triennial assembly in similar terms. As a constituent member of the Anglican Communion, I guess the shoe fits! This July all of the elected lay people, deacons, and priests of all the Episcopal dioceses assembled in the House of Deputies. At the same time all the bishops of the Episcopal Church assembled in the House of Bishops. We became the governing authority of our Church—the bi-cameral legislative assembly that worshipped, prayed, debated, and voted on the direction of our mission and ministry for at least the next three years. We attempted to do these things according to the will of the ultimate authority of our Church—Christ, the Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). One of the things you need to know about General Convention is that our thoughts and ideas on various and sundry questions before the Church are as diverse as those of the ancient apostles and prophets, and every other Church leader since then. We disagreed about a lot. This is not a sign of weakness or of faithlessness. It is a sign that life is messy and complicated, and yet God has entrusted the treasure of Divine Light to clay jars—imperfect, fragile, finite vessels like us. (2 Corinthians 4:5-12) The word ‘episcopal’ means governed by bishops, and we are. Yet, this governance by our bishops is exercised according to the discernment of an even broader, democratic assembly of faithful people representing all the orders of ministry— lay, bishop, priest, and deacon—in our Church. Therefore, the temporal power of the Episcopal Church is both ‘top down’ and ‘bottom up’ at the same time. (See what I mean about a holy pandemonium?!) Before I was ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church I was a registered lobbyist. Sounds like a confession, doesn’t it? Well, one of the things I learned during

my work in and around the S.C. General Assembly is that Robert’s Rules of Order do not guarantee an orderly, predictable outcome. They can only help govern an orderly, predictable process. People make jokes comparing the making of laws and the making of sausage as two comparable things you don’t want to see. I’m not sure I agree. I enjoyed watching and participating in the process when my clients’ views prevailed.

arising from the works of these various groups during the most recent years. We also gathered at Kanuga with other bishops and deputies at the Province IV (Southeastern United States region) of the Episcopal Church in order to worship, pray, discuss, and discern about these things.

We disagreed about a lot. This is not a sign of weakness or of faithlessness. It is a sign that life is messy and complicated, and yet God has entrusted the treasure of Divine Light to clay jars—imperfect, fragile, finite vessels like us. (2 Corinthians 4:5-12) It was only distasteful to watch when my clients’ views did not prevail. So, perhaps the second thing you need to know about General Convention is that we are likely to have mixed feelings about the various outcomes of decisions about which we care deeply. We like watching some of the legislation pass (or fail); and we compare other legislative outcomes with the proverbial sausage metaphor. Here’s the thing that helps me. I go back to St. Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians: “Let the same (humble) mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5-11) As much as I sometimes want to say, “Let the same mind be in them…” the challenge Paul sets forth is for us. Our bishop, deputies, and alternates were in the process of preparing long before the start of General Convention. We read the various reports of commissions, committees, and councils. We are studied the legislative proposals

So, the third thing you need to know about the General Convention is that you can always pray for us. You can pray for all of us, and particularly for our bishop and diocesan deputies and alternates. Our ministry is to be present on behalf of Upper S.C. Your ministry is to hold the Church and its leaders in your prayers.

The Rev. Furman L. Buchanan is the rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Greenville, S.C. He began serving St. Peter’s in 2010 as priest-incharge, and was subsequently called by the vestry as the parish’s fourth rector. Prior to this call, Furman served as an associate priest at St. Martin’s in the Fields in Columbia. At the Diocesan Convention of 2016 he was elected as chair of the deputation for the 2018 General Convention. Furman is also serving as chair of the Commission on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion.

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE The Rev. Alice Ray

Photo: Getty Images

In this article, I attempt to report and reflect on where we are regarding marriage in The Episcopal Church and in our diocese. This is my version of ‘the state of the union’, so to speak. Our union is established in the very life of God the Trinity, whereby we are invited into the flow of love among the different “persons” of God who stay one, always. Jesus demonstrates and teaches us that embedded in this flow of love is the hardest thing: loss and renewal, death as the price of resurrection. In human relationships, sexuality is a great and powerful gift; a multifaceted and complex topic. It is incumbent upon us to understand this gift more fully in our conversations about changes in understandings about marriage, and to listen intently to the Spirit residing at the core of our being. These conversations at national and local levels continue as we pray to discern the movement of God’s Spirit with reverence, openness, and humility. Where We Have Been For more than forty years, The Episcopal Church has been discussing the place of same-sex couples in its common life. At the General Convention 2012, a Marriage Task Force and the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music were tasked to study and come up with resources for conversations on same-sex marriage and liturgies (which could lead to resolutions or not). Bishop Waldo served on this Task Force. These studies/essays were published in preparation for the 78th General Convention in 2015. The Convention listened and held hearings about the liturgies, resolutions, and canons. During this Convention, the United States Supreme Court affirmed same-sex marriage across the land. Of the resolutions considered at the 2015 Convention, three passed: two new marriage liturgies for trial use with all couples, gay and straight, as well as a blessing liturgy to be used in parts of the Episcopal Church (especially in the Caribbean and Latin America) where same-sex marriage is illegal. The canonical definition of marriage was also made gender neutral. Authority was conferred on diocesan bishops to decide how changes would be implemented locally. Also, bishops were directed to make provision for all couples asking to be married in this church to have access to these liturgies. Ninety-three diocesan bishops of the church’s one hundred one domestic dioceses have authorized the

trial liturgies; eight have not. Additionally, and notably, Province IX (Caribbean and South American) bishops issued a statement declaring these actions “are greatly deepening the breach” and if approved, “the Ninth Province will have to learn to walk alone.” To date, Province IX remains in full, collaborative relationship with the domestic dioceses of the Episcopal Church. Here in Upper South Carolina, in October 2012, Bishop Waldo convened the Task Force on Unity and Faithfulness to “articulate the boundaries within which we can live together as brothers and sisters in shared mission in a time when we are especially conflicted around matters of human sexuality.”

period of study have been given permission to officiate at same-sex blessings. Three more have submitted reports with no application. Some congregations will not be offering the curriculum, “in some cases an appropriate and strategic decision,” according to the summary. Convention Resolutions The national Task Force on the Study of Marriage wrote three resolutions for action by this convention. For unrelated reasons, Bishop Waldo chose not to continue service on this Task Force following General Convention 2015.

In human relationships, sexuality is a great and powerful gift; a multifaceted and complex topic. It is incumbent upon us to understand this gift more fully in our conversations about changes in understandings about marriage, and to listen intently to the Spirit residing at the core of our being. According to the Very Rev. Tim Jones’ summary report, the bishop wanted the group to address provisional approval of a rite for the blessing of same-sex unions. He also charged members with “creating a document that would be both theological and pragmatic, a document that addressed larger issues in theology, tradition and church governance, along with guidelines for concrete congregational discussions.” This group created In Dialogue With Each Other, a curriculum for use in parishes, which is accompanied by the bishop’s own pastoral and theological reflection, In Dialogue With Sacred Tradition. These are thoughtful resources; not dismissive of the wide range of views. They “honor convictions and facilitate conversation amid disagreement” and offer “some critical distance from what sometimes sound like unconsidered answers.” They also give direction to churches/rectors who wish to apply for approval to perform the rite. Bishop Waldo requested that all congregations engage in the study, whether they are seeking application or not. To date, ten rectors and congregations that have engaged in a

Here’s a rundown of the proposed resolutions, prior to the amendments made at the 79th General Convention: The first, A085 Trial Use of Marriage Liturgies, “presented a road map for General Convention to fulfill forty years of promises of full inclusion in the life of The Episcopal Church for LGBTQ+ individuals.” It proposed continued trial use of revised and amended liturgies for marriage during the next triennium, as additions to The Book of Common Prayer. Proposed amendments to the rites, prefaces, and appropriate sections of the Catechism would make the language gender-neutral (i.e. “the couple”) rather than specific to a man and a woman. This resolution provides guidance for trial use, encourages that bishops provide generous pastoral response to congregations, acknowledged that clergy may decline to solemnize or bless a marriage, and provided assurance that no one in the Church shall suffer any coercion or penalty because of theological support for or opposition to the blessing or marriage of same-sex couples.

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Photos: Episcopal News Service

The second resolution, A086 Authorize Rites to Bless Relationships, proposed adding two liturgies to the “Enriching Our Worship” series. One is “The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant”, currently authorized for use by same-sex couples in dioceses of The Episcopal Church where the civil jurisdiction did not allow marriage for same-sex couples (i.e., Latin America and the Caribbean). The second is “The Blessing of a Lifelong Relationship” which responded to the study of contemporary trends and the expressed experiences of Episcopalians who desire to form and formalize a lifelong, monogamous, and unconditional relationship, other than marriage, in particular circumstances that, for some couples, could create civil legal difficulties. These include personal/familial financial hardship for some and, for others, difficulties associated with immigration status. The third proposed resolution, A087 Develop Relationship Pastoral Resources, recognizes the rising rate and number of U. S. adults in sexually intimate relationships other than marriage and calls for the development of resources that provide spiritual, teaching, and pastoral guidance for these relationships. Bishop Waldo’s desire is to see parishes continue to live together with respectful

affection and to ground our common life in theology. His reflection, addressing questions of natural law, gender complementarity, and procreative power, acknowledges “the tradition’s condemnation of same-sex relationships as historically understood.” He also “provides a new foundation, also rooted in scripture, read in light of contemporary experience of relationships that bear the fruit of the Spirit, for supporting and blessing samesex relationships.” Bearing in mind that conversion and conversation have the same root, the deepest hope as dialogue continues to develop in this diocese is further transformation into the image in which we are made. As we participate with trust and respect, we are sharing in the mutuality, the vulnerability, the giving and receiving, the self-emptying of God’s own inner life. I realize my thoughts here raise any number of questions having to do with the unity, identity, and mission of church as it pertains to the sacrament of marriage and the proclamation of a Christian account of human sexuality. All voices are needed and welcome at the table. Moving forward, may we all be drawn into the divine flow of love, knowing that we ourselves are how “the Son’s life may be again made real in the world” [Rowan Williams, The Dwelling of the Light (Norwich, The Canterbury Press, 2003), 57].” Christians, reflecting

the Trinity, stay one with our differences. May we be a powerful witness so all may say, “see how those Christians love each other!” (Tertullian).

Alice has been the Associate Rector at St. Mary’s in Columbia for five years. A native of Asheville, North Carolina, she graduated from The University of the South School of Theology in 2010. Before coming to Columbia, she served at St. Mary’s, Napa, California She resides with her husband, civil rights attorney Chris Mills, in Elmwood Park. They enjoy hiking, riding bikes, being newlyweds, and getting to the mountains every chance they get. Alice has two wonderful sons, Jack and Kenny, both of whom reside in Asheville, and two wonderful step-daughters, Ross, of Eugene, Oregon, and Clare, of Charleston.

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GENERAL CONVENTION: THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

Angela Daniel is a longtime member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Columbia, SC where she has served as Senior Warden, Junior Warden, chair of the Rector Search Committee, chair of St. John's Campaign for Equipping the Saints, and chair of the Servant Ministries Committee. Her commitment to excellence and unwavering compassion led to her appointment as President of Province IV of the Episcopal Church. As she prepared for her sixth General Convention, Daniel sat down with Crosswalk to discuss common misconceptions, General Convention, the inner workings for Province IV, and the weight the province carries in her heart. Can you start off by explaining exactly what a province is? What role does a province serve? One of the things that all the dioceses in Province IV agree about is that there are too many people who don’t know what a province is, which province we’re in, what the province is made up of, or what it does. I’m finding that to be one of the biggest problems in all the committees across the church. Provinces were formed many years ago to try to get diocese to work together and to “divide up” the work of the church. The province tries to help the diocese and serve as a link between the diocese and the greater church and it gives us a strong voice. So many people don’t know what makes Province IV: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, part of Louisiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky. What makes Province IV so unique? Province IV is the largest and I don’t think there would be any argument, even amongst other provinces, that ours is the most functional. We’re the busiest, and part of that is the blessing of our geography. We’re blessed to be made up of ten states and twenty diocese whose borders all touch. If we’re getting together, most people can drive to one location or fly easily and that makes a difference. We pretty much share a common culture. And we like each other! I’ve been on task forces to study provinces for the past three years and meeting with people from all of the provinces. We know each other in our province and we share a great many common ministries together. I’ve learned about some of the hardships that other

provinces have with communication and knowing one another personally. Talk a bit more about how that experience may differ in each province. Province 8, for example, is pretty much the entire west coast of the United States, plus Taiwan and Hawaii. They can’t just call a senate meeting without people having to spend a great deal of money and traveling a long distance. That seems to make a huge difference. Province IV has always had a strong system of networks that we all share. Some of those networks don’t operate right now, but it’s because they either became self-sustaining or because we started a new system of grants for fresh new ministry ideas. I imagine this system of grants has been going on since the provinces have been formed. Province IV began doing that three years ago. The first year, we awarded $15,000 in grants, the second year, $20,000, and for 2018, $25,000. That fund is growing because people are becoming more collaborative. These particular grants are given only if dioceses, two or more, are planning together for a shared ministry. That brings people in together for a common cause. It can be anything from providing food and some healthcare for the homeless in a certain area, but what happens is these groups are creating models. Those models are then shared across the province which are then shared across the church. Has the diocese of Upper South Carolina actually received any of these grants? Yes! Our own diocese received a grant for our education initiative. That has made us known when we have our Senate meetings, which are the gatherings of representatives from all over the diocese in our province. We highlight the projects that have received grant money so everyone can know what they’re doing, how they’re doing it, what the costs are, and what the long range plan is. It has been wonderful to see people pick up on those and seeing them communicate with each other and as those important questions to get things started within their diocese. What inspired Province IV to start this system of grants? A lot of this came out of the Thistle Farms movement. It was started by Becca

Stevens in Nashville, Tennessee, as a way of helping women who had fallen victim to human trafficking, prostitution, or addiction. The project invited the women in, got them off the streets and provided them with a source of income, some leadership skills and some leadership training. They now make a line of beauty products that have grown through the years. They started out making these products in a church kitchen; they bottled them, marketed them, and sold them. It has been extremely successful. A couple of those women came to our Senate meeting about three or four years ago and talked about their lives: how they got caught up in human trafficking and about how real it is right where we live. We’d like to think human trafficking is going on somewhere else. They’re not just making these products, they’re going out and telling how the Gospel has changed and sustained their lives. That inspired a lot of people to start coming together and thinking creatively about ways to help different people in different situations. How do you all prepare for General Convention? The last Senate meeting we have before convention is mainly to prepare all of the deputies and bishops from Province IV for General Convention. We had the presiding bishop with us and the president of the House of Deputies. We talked about some of the resolutions that will be put before us at convention and discussed where we stand in our province. Hopefully, what we learn will then trickle down into our individual dioceses so that people can learn more. Also, not everyone does their homework the same way and that’s in preparing for anything. That’s why it takes everybody working together. We get so much reading material prior to General Convention, it’s impossible for one person to digest all of it. As hard as we try to share it all with our diocese, it’s hard to have enough time to internalize it all. Explain the role of the deputies at General Convention. What is a common misconception associated with the role? One of the things that confuses people is that we have deputies at General Convention, not delegates. It is our responsibility to learn the feelings of the people in our diocese, but we’re not elected out of vote. We are entrusted with the task of going to General Convention,

CROSSWALK | 17

listening intently to all voices, praying together with all people there, and trying to come to a decision. To me, it is one of the most awesome things that happens in my own life. How are those topics brought to the table? General Convention has standing commissions, committees, task forces, and boards that take on the work of various issues. There have been more task forces this triennial. People from each general province meet at least twice a year to bring resolutions. They identify the most important things they want to see on the floor of General Convention. Legislative committees are formed around those issues. Any of our deputies can go to any of those legislative hearings and listen and add to the conversation. Those legislative committees decide whether a resolution has been studied thoroughly enough to where it’s ready to be put on the floor. Sometimes they’re not. Sometimes they’re combined with other resolutions and that’s where a lot of the work with General Convention comes in. The resolutions that are brought to the floor of the House of Deputies and to the House of Bishops are discussed again and voted upon. Either they pass, don’t pass, or are postponed, but they’re all dealt with. We're trying in our own way to change the world with God's help. What’s an average day like for the deputies and bishops that attend convention? It is very hard work. If you look at a daily calendar for General Convention, most deputies and bishops start their day at 7am with a meeting and can work through until 10pm with breaks for meals. We take time to worship together, but it can be pretty grueling. It can be hard physically and emotionally, but it’s also the most awesome and rewarding thing I can imagine and it’s exciting! For most people who like being a part of it, there’s fun involved. I think it’s a lot of fun and part of the fun is getting to know people from other dioceses and provinces. This will be your sixth time being a deputy at General Convention. If the experience is so taxing, what is it that keeps you coming back? I think it’s that feeling and the knowledge that as different as we all can be, we want the same thing, we share the same faith, and we’re committed to discerning what God wants us to do. I think that’s what keeps me coming back. And there’s one

other thing: you make great friends through all of this. When you come together, it can feel like a family reunion. People get to visit and talk over the issues. They can also share a meal, share a conversation, and can lovingly disagree, sometimes strongly, on the issues. We can also can sit down and figure out how we can speak out about this in unison. There’s power in standing together. If you have an entire province feeling strongly about something and voting together on it, you’re going to make a huge impact. As easy as it is for us at home to feel we are the Episcopal Church, going to General Convention helps us understand what a small piece we are, how many people are

can’t help but realize how passionate you can become about these issues. We are so ripe right now for some more tough conversation. What’s the hardest part about attending General Convention? We can have some pretty traumatic things happen. In previous years, we’ve had reporters sticking microphones into our faces, asking us how we felt about the election of a gay bishop, or how we felt about abortion or other things. We sort of have to prepare for it, shore up our own faith, and be prepared for whatever may come.

It’s that feeling and the knowledge that as different as we all can be, we want the same thing and we share the same faith and we’re committed to discerning what God wants for us to do. I think that’s what keeps me coming back. not like us, and how many people are facing things that we don’t have to face in our own diocese. Can you give me any personal examples as to how the resolutions at General Convention have affected you personally? My first General Convention was in 2003 when the first openly gay bishop was approved. I can honestly say that until the conversation began after that, I knew people who were gay, but I had never sat down at the table with somebody and had a serious conversation about what their life was like. It made me see things from a different perspective. You can take anything. Human trafficking, for instance. There are so many people that don’t see it every day and think, “Oh, that’s not happening in Columbia or in Greenville.” Oh, yes it is. During one convention, we met some of the Lost Boys of Sudan and talked to them. It’s one thing to have read about them in the news and get someone else’s view, but to stand in front of a manchild who is emaciated and scarred, physically and emotionally, and to have a conversation with them, you

What do you anticipate the biggest resolutions will be? In 2003, we held our Province IV Senate meeting exactly two weeks before General Convention. I can remember driving down the mountain-side when Senate was over, thinking I had a grasp on what the issues were. As I was making that drive, the news came out that New Hampshire just elected the first openly gay bishop. That became the hot button for that General Convention. Social justice issues always have a high level of importance. I think it’s going to be at an extremely high level of importance this year because we’re living in pretty strange and difficult times. Conversation about the governance and structure of the Episcopal Church will happen for sure. But until we come together and really see what’s before us, I hesitate to answer that question. I don’t have that crystal ball. When you stop and think about it, there’s so much that we’re doing and there’s so much that we’re not doing. So take your pick. We’ll just wait and see. We’ll pray an awful lot. And we hope that the people in our home dioceses are praying for us.

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TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION: PILGRIMAGE TO GHANA

Photos: The Episcopal Church

Racial Reconciliation "Slavery is the most evil form of turning people into objects. Every Episcopal church that dates back to that era, and all of us by our connection with it, have some blood on our hands, at least in the sense that if we don’t understand it, we can’t change what we’re doing; we will continue to objectify people in our daily lives." - The Right Reverend W. Andrew Waldo

CATCH SOME WAVES IN In January 2017, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and Episcopal Relief & Development led a reconciliation pilgrimage to Ghana, on the coast of West Africa. The pilgrims visited sites critical to understanding the trans-Atlantic slave trade and its legacy. The group traced the journey of captured Africans from Pikworo Slave Camp, 500 miles south to the coastal “castles” of Elmina and Cape Coast. The slave forts – some associated with the Anglican Church – held captives for weeks or months before they were forced onto ships bound for the Americas.

The bishop’s involvement did not stop there. Upon becoming the family genealogist, he realized just how involved his family was in the enslavement of Africans. He discovered he was kin to nearly two dozen Confederate officers and many generations of Virginian, South Carolinian, and Mississippian slave holders.

LAGUNA BEACH The Right Reverend W. Andrew Waldo, alongside The Most Reverend Michael Curry and The Reverend Canon Stephanie Spellers, participated in a three-video series, documenting their different experiences. Bishop Waldo touches on his ongoing cognitive dissonance after moving to Montgomery, Alabama, during the height of America’s civil rights movement.

“When you see how many hundreds of thousands, millions of people came through these places and sat in those dungeons and then to come and to meet whips, to have your name taken from you…I can only be certain that my ancestors did that to people.” There may be a sense of shame that presents itself in most of our lives. We could choose to hide behind it, or we could choose to express these feelings through an ongoing conversation, one that should transform into a way of life.

By Joyce Wright Photographs by Mark Halberg

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

“There’s a part of me that thinks we need to get past just talking about race, about justice. We need to live it. We need to bring our lives so deeply into that conversation that the objectification that slavery is the ultimate expression of is replaced by a complete I/Thou relationship. I’m in relationship with you because you’re created in the image of God.” Since 2006, the Episcopal Church has committed to making an apology for slavery and inviting the church’s people and institutions into deep ongoing work to repair the breach and become beloved community. This ministry continues across many congregations, diocese, provinces, and at the church-wide level. In 2017, the Episcopal Church’s leadership presented “Becoming Beloved Community,” a vision document to guide a long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice.

CROSSWALK

GENERAL CONVENTION WRAP-UP:

FOLLOWING THE WAY OF JESUS CHRIST Article courtesy of Episcopal News Service

Photo: Episcopal News Service

Responding to Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s call to “Follow the Way of Jesus,” deputies and bishops at the 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, meeting July 5-13 in Austin, Texas, acted on a record number of resolutions on key issues such as immigration, prayer book revision, Israel-Palestine, and readmitting the Episcopal Church of Cuba as a diocese. Convention also passed a $134 million budget that reflects for a further three years the presiding bishop’s priorities of evangelism, racial reconciliation and creation care. Meanwhile, the legislative processes were overseen by a resident roost of avian observers, one of which adopted a social media presence to bring a steady flow of light-feathered moments to convention amid the often-intense and passionate debates on the key issues before the church. Outside the legislative chambers, several events brought together bishops, deputies and visitors to mingle, socialize, pray, worship and advocate, with a public witness against gun violence and another outside an immigrant detention center challenging the actions of the U.S. government in its enforcement of immigration policies. A revival service at Austin’s Palmer Events Center on July 7 drew a crowd of more than 2,500 people who listened to Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s rousing sermon about how “God is love and gives life.” In his opening sermon on July 5, Curry challenged every Episcopalian to embrace the “Way of Love: Practices for a Jesuscentered life” as a way to help the church enter into a new era of spiritual growth. $134 million budget adopted Convention adopted a $133.8 million 20192021 budget that reflects the presiding bishop’s priorities of evangelism, racial reconciliation and justice, and creation care. The priorities have been referred to as the “three pillars” of the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement. It also continues to be built on what Maine Bishop Stephen Lane, vice chair of the Joint Committee on Program, Budget and Finance, told the joint session is “the foundation of our continuing ministries as a church and our commitments to others both within and beyond our church.” In addition, it includes the foundation of the

church’s “ongoing commitment to conciliar governance, and the legal, financial and other services of the Church Center [the denominational offices in New York].” Full access to trial-use marriage rites Convention agreed in passing Resolution B012 on July 13 to give all Episcopalians the ability to be married by their priests in their home churches. Resolution B012 had gone from the House of Deputies to the bishops and back to the deputies on its road to approval. Deputies overwhelmingly approved a heavily amended version of the resolution on July 9, and the House of Bishops added a technical amendment two days later that does not change B012’s goal of giving full access to two trial-use marriage rites for same-sex and opposite-sex couples approved by the 2015 meeting of General Convention (via Resolution A054). Resolution B012 provides for: • Giving rectors or clergy in charge of a congregation the ability to provide access to the trial use of the marriage rites for same-sex and opposite-sex couples. Resolution A054-2015 and the original version of B012 said that clergy could only use the rites under the direction of their bishop. • Requiring that, if a bishop “holds a theological position that does not embrace marriage for same-sex couples,” he or she may invite another bishop, if necessary, to provide “pastoral support” to any couple desiring to use the rites, as well as to the clergy member and congregation involved. In any case, an outside bishop must be asked to take requests for remarriage if either member of the couple is divorced to fulfill a canonical requirement that applies to opposite-sex couples. • Continuing trial use of the rites until the completion of the next comprehensive revision of the Book of Common Prayer. New plan for liturgical and prayer book revision Convention adopted a plan for liturgical and prayer book revision that sets the stage for the creation of new liturgical

texts to respond to the needs of Episcopalians across the church while continuing to use the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. Resolution A068 originally called for the start of a process that would lead to a fully revised prayer book in 2030. The bishops instead adopted a plan for “liturgical and prayer book revision for the future of God’s mission through the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement.” The bishops’ amended resolution calls for bishops to engage worshipping communities in their dioceses in experimentation and creation of alternative liturgical texts that they will submit to a new Task Force on Liturgical and Prayer Book Revision to be appointed by the presiding bishop and the president of the House of Deputies. It also says that liturgical revision will utilize inclusive and expansive language and imagery for humanity and divinity, and will incorporate understanding, appreciation and care of God’s creation. Meanwhile, General Convention also adopted a resolution that allows all congregations in the Episcopal Church to use optional, expansive-language versions of three Rite II Eucharistic prayers in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. Resolution D078 provides alternative language for Prayer A, Prayer B and Prayer D. The changes are available for trial use until the completion of the next comprehensive revision of the Book of Common Prayer. Responding to the voices and stories of women The voices and stories of women played a significant role in the workings of the 79th General Convention, from a liturgy where bishops offered laments and confession for the church’s role in sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse to Resolution D087 that allows deputies to bring infant children on the floor of the House of Deputies to feed them. Acting on immigration If there was one issue that defied any expectation of controversy at the 79th General Convention, it was immigration.

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Center photos: Episcopal News Service

Bishops and deputies arrived in Austin last week on the heels of a national uproar over the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy toward immigration, particularly the decision to separate children from parents in detention. And despite the administration’s reversal on family separations, immigration policies continued to be a hot-button issue, including in the border state that hosted the Episcopal Church’s triennial gathering. But if the country remains divided over what to do about immigration, the thousands of Episcopalians gathered at convention presented a unified front in support of families who have been separated, those facing deportation and immigrants in general – through prayer, testimony, action and the unobstructed passage of legislation. Convention passed three resolutions on immigration issues. Resolution C033 puts the church on record as respecting the dignity of immigrants and outlines how public policy should reflect that belief; A178 takes a forceful stand against family separations and treatment of immigrant parents and children; and C009, titled “Becoming a Sanctuary Church,” encourages Episcopalians and congregations to reach out to

and support immigrants facing deportation, including by providing physical sanctuary if they choose. One of the defining moments of this General Convention was the prayer vigil held July 8 outside the T. Don Hutto Residential Center, an immigrant detention facility little more than a halfhour outside of Austin. A massive gathering of more than a thousand Episcopalians prayed and sang in support of immigrant parents and children who had been separated. Challenging injustices in IsraeliPalestinian conflict General Convention wrapped up its consideration of resolutions relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with mixed results due largely to the House of Bishops’ unwillingness to take many of the bolder steps urged by the House of Deputies. Of the 15 resolutions submitted on IsraelPalestine going into General Convention, only six passed both houses, though the successful resolutions still touch on the plight of Palestinian children, the status of Jerusalem, the disproportionate use of lethal force on both sides and ways the Episcopal Church can press for peace through its investment decisions.Bishops and deputies, even those arguing for a tougher stance against the conditions of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian

territories, took pains to affirm Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself, citing longstanding church policy toward the region. And while the bishops rejected the most controversial resolution, D019, saying it amounted to a dangerous “divestment” from Israel, they did join the deputies in passing Resolution B016, which echoes D019 in its use of the phrase “human rights investment screen.” Unlike D019 however, Resolution B016 includes no timeline for action by Executive Council or any reference to church complicity in the occupation, though it ultimately could result in the church pulling money out of companies that do business there. Welcome back, Cuba Convention voted to admit, or readmit, the Episcopal Church of Cuba as a diocese by passing Resolution A238. The Diocese of Cuba is set to join Province II, which includes dioceses from New York and New Jersey in the United States, Haiti and the Virgin Islands. Compensation for deputies’ president Convention agreed to a plan to pay the president of the House of Deputies for the work of the office.Resolution B014 passed with no dollar figure attached but agreed to pay the House of Deputies president director’s and officer’s fees “for specific services rendered in order to fulfill duties required by the church’s Constitution and Canons.”

SECTION TWO:

DIOCESAN CONVENTION

CARE OF CREATION INTRODUCING DR. JAMES MCCLINTOCK

All Antarctic photos courtesy of James McClintock

“This is one of the most pressing and important issues of the current times we live in.” As a marine biologist, an endowed professor, and a fellow Episcopalian, Dr. James B. McClintock does not take climate change lightly. He prefers not to use the term “global warming,” as it doesn’t encompass all aspects of what is happening to our planet. McClintock believes the term climate change is more appropriate, as the warming of the earth creates more extreme weather conditions all around. It gives us colder colds, hotter hots, dryer dries, and wetter wets. “People are beginning to see it in their own backyards,” he says. “They’re seeing their tomatoes bloom earlier than they used to. There’s more hot days in the summer. When it rains in their neighborhood, they’re getting flooding rains instead of the rains they’re used to. And the flooding rains are causing the rivers and streams in their neighborhoods to overflow and flood. When we get three Category 5 hurricanes in a row, this resonates with people. When you’re living in Houston in a beautiful upscale neighborhood and the water level is halfway up your garage…these things conspire so that it’s very difficult for climate change naysayers to have much footing.” Judging by the immense passion in McClintock’s voice, it is clear that his concern for our planet is fueled by much more than his professional titles. His motives stem from his immense, intrinsic affinity for nature. Later in life, he would realize how this affinity directly related to his faith and to the care of creation. McClintock grew up in Santa Barbra, California, a beautiful costal town surrounded by mountains and the ocean. He often spent his days surfing, tidepooling, hiking in the back country, and doing nature photography, all of which spurred him into the direction of environmental studies in his academic career. Despite being coaxed to follow a path that would guarantee him a spot in medical school, McClintock found himself at the University of South Florida to obtain his Master’s degree and pursue his doctoral studies.

“One day, I was working in the lab and my professor came in and tapped me on the shoulder. He asked if I was interested in going to Antarctica with him. He had a grant from the National Science Foundation and could take one student along. He wanted me to be that student.” In a remarkable turn of events, a nature lover, only familiar with the comforting warm weather of the United States, was met with the harsh, glacial temperatures of a foreign continent. A few months of this work opened the door for his post doctorate fellowship back in Antarctica, working at McMurdo Station, the largest American station in Antarctica. McClintock has been funded by the Nation Science Foundation to work in Antarctica for the past 25 years. This has provided him with many opportunities to take graduate students to Antarctica, to collaborate with colleagues within his department in Alabama and Florida in areas of chemical ecology, ocean acidification, climate warming, and many other niches that have become passions over the years. McClintock’s move from McMurdo Station to Palmer’s Station, the only U.S. research station located north of the Antarctic Circle, is where his faith and profession started to connect. “It’s almost as if you’re in the middle of an area that’s going through tremendous changes with climate change. Over the past twenty years, I’ve watched the glaciers disintegrate, the Adélie penguin begin to disappear. There are so many things happening around me in real time, that I really felt compelled to take this story to the public and share my experiences in Antarctica.” Initially, it was a conflict of interest to him. It wasn’t until he read a book that made the concept seem plausible. This book, written a friend and fellow scientist, is essentially a conversation between him and a Southern Baptist preacher about the preservation of nature. “It occurred to me that the whole concept of care for creation is very similar to the beliefs scientists hold in relation to climate change.”

McClintock proceeded to organize a workshop in concert with the Rev. Mark Johnston of Alabama. Climate Change and Spirituality had close to 40 participants, representing a small variety of religions. Johnston presented a biblical framework for the care of creation, while McClintock explained the science of climate change. The response to the event was very positive, and Johnston and McClintock saw a lot of potential for bringing faith groups on board in addressing the issues of creation care. McClintock finds the events he does to be of high importance because they allow him to connect with the public in a more authentic way. “It’s really important to communicate with people on a frequency that they identify with. Sometimes, scientists are terrible communicators because they don’t parse their language. They use words that non-scientists are not familiar with. That’s something that we are working on collectively.” For Leadership Day at our Diocesan Convention, McClintock is preparing to lead a discussion that will take us to Antarctica. He’ll take us to the peninsula of Antarctica where, climate change is dramatic. He will show the impacts on the features of the ice: the glaciers, the sea ice, the ice sheets, and the other issues occurring with the ice. Then, in a discussion including every species from phytoplankton to whale, he’ll dive into the shivering truth of how it affects us all. To prepare for Leadership Day, McClintock suggests that those planning to attend read his book Lost Antarctica: Adventures in a Disappearing Land. Focusing on the diocesan vision of making, equipping, and sending mature disciples, specifically in the area of stewardship and care of people, place and money, Leadership Day is open to all who would like to attend. Congregations are encouraged to bring teams of four to eight people, especially those who are involved with Stewardship of Creation ministries. The evening will conclude with a Celebration of the Diocese with dinner included. For more information, or to register for this event, please visit www.edusc.org and click the Diocesan Convention tab that will be located in the top left or of your screen.

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"Why Diocesan Convention?" Beth Hendrix

When invited to comment on our diocesan convention, my first thought was “why do we meet?” So I Googled “why diocesan convention,” clicked on the images tab and my screen was flooded with a sea of photos from conventions held all over the nation. Human faces of all ages, of many ethnicities, of first timers and marathon delegates -- telling their stories with arms raised in praise, thanksgiving, and love. Four convention themes emerged that speak to why we meet and describe how our diocesan convention is planned and how it operates. Know your Story. Live it Boldly We -- the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina -- we who are the diocese, do the hard work of telling the stories, listening in love, discerning and deciding through grace on the business matters that come before Convention. This is accomplished by seeking and recognizing needs within our communities, parishes, and convocations, and partnering with the commissions and committees to make dreams reality. Waters of Reconciliation: Turning Again to Christ And when we gather at Convention we continue the conversation. We resolve to live the Good News in Jesus Christ. Our youth witness and testify to the transformation made possible only by God’s grace in showing us how to love and serve one another. We put our names up for consideration to serve God and His Church, committing to do our part in His mission. And we affirm the sacrifice of those who serve as our representatives for diocesan, provincial, national, and international matters. Declare Dignity We engage in dialogue around questions and concerns of the Body of Christ, forming small groups with our tablemates, and practicing norms we articulate in our Baptismal covenant. With the knowledge of our lack of humility, we pray for God’s guidance as we strive to be willing to consider all positions and to be open to change. And when we do not see

eye-to-eye, I am thrilled to witness year after year that we choose to stay in relationship. This is part of the DNA of DUSC. One of the first questions Bishop Waldo asked at the beginning of his episcopate was, “what is it that would make you walk away?”

With God’s help, we will gather November 2-3 in Columbia, to cultivate the field, removing stones from the soil, and with plenty of Son, live into the roles God has for each of us in His mission. God loved creation first - which includes us. Now it’s our turn.

We -- the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina -- we who are the diocese, do the hard work of telling the stories, listening in love, discerning and deciding through grace on the business matters that come before Convention.

Work, Pray & Give This is why we meet at diocesan convention. We are of the Anglican tradition; we self-govern, therefore we have work to do concerning earthly matters. Before we work, before we meet, and before we make decisions, we pray. A lot. The Daughters of the King pray for us around the clock throughout convention. And we give. Our praise and thanksgiving. Our time and treasure. Our gifts and our lives. Each year a parish volunteers to host the more than 400 people who gather to grow together at Leadership Day and assemble for Business Day. This is no small feat, let me tell you! Parking and coffee are important, people! Our host this year is Trinity Cathedral, and the theme of our 96th Diocesan Convention is the stewardship of creation. God made us the stewards of his creation, giving humankind dominion over all living things and the land (Genesis 1:1-2:4). Dominion in Hebrew means “to take responsibility for.”

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Beth grew up in North Augusta, SC. An avid golfer and once clarinetist, she spent her youth on Aiken county golf courses and between Furman and USC music schools. Beth’s love for music did not change while she was in college, having served as the President of the Carolina Band. She continues to be active in USC Bands, Tau Beta Sigma (national honor service fraternity), and in alumni engagement for the University. Currently Beth is undertaking coursework at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary focusing on peace studies and reconciliation. Beth retired in 2017 after 34 years of service to USC as a professional meeting planner. She is a member of St. Simon and St. Jude, and lives in Irmo with her sons, Preston and Tenison.

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THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF UPPER SOUTH CAROLINA 1115 Marion Street Columbia, SC 29201-3706