Historic Diocese of South Carolina Has Left The Episcopal Church USA

I don't really have a dog in this fight , but as a moment of American religious history what happen yesterday is worth noting.

 The historic diocese of South Carolina founded in 1680 that help birth the Episcopal Church in the United States has left , or from those that think this secession is illegal viewpoint have just fired on Episcopal Church USA Fort Sumter , and are open rebellion / schism.

Think of it this way.

At  historic St Phillips in Charleston the bodies of John C. Calhoun former Vice President of the United States, Edward Rutledge Signer of the Declaration of Independence ,Charles Pinckney, Signer of US Constitution, and several Royal Colonial Governors among others have left the Episcopal Church USA building.

This dispute has been escalating  for some time as the much more conservative Diocese of South Carolina has been in an escalating dispute with the national Church body.

What triggered these events was that Episcopal Church USA filed charges against the  bishop, the Rt Rev Mark Lawrence for allegedly “abandoning” the communion of the Episcopal Church.. This triggered triggered two pre-existing corporate resolutions of the Diocese, which simultaneously disaffiliated the Diocese from The Episcopal Church and called a Special Convention. That Convention will be held at St. Philip’s Church, Charleston, on Saturday, November 17, 2012.

Transfigurations has the  George Conger article that has a few secular and religious news sources as well as to this situation.

I guess in the new couple of weeks we shall see if there will be any hope of reconciliation to occur at the before mentioned convention before the litigation starts in spades.

Pray for all involved.