Anglican Diocese of South Carolina | |
|---|---|
 Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul | |
| Location | |
| Ecclesiastical province | Anglican Church in North America |
| Statistics | |
| Congregations | 55 (2023)[1] |
| Members | 17,440 (2023)[1] |
| Information | |
| Rite | Anglican |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul, Charleston |
| Current leadership | |
| Bishop | Chip Edgar |
| Website | |
| https://www.adosc.org/ | |
The Anglican Diocese of South Carolina (ADOSC) is a diocese of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). The diocese covers an area of 24 counties in the eastern part of the state of South Carolina. In 2019, it had 18,195 baptized members and 47 parishes.[2] The see city is Charleston, home to the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul.
The Anglican Diocese formed in 2012 when the historical Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina (EDOSC) split into two groups after a long period of conflict over theology and authority within the Episcopal Church. Bishop Mark Lawrence and a majority of the members of the historical diocese left the Episcopal Church but continued to claim diocesan property, including church buildings, and to be the continuation of the historical diocese. The Anglican Diocese of South Carolina joined the ACNA in 2017.
A minority of the members of the historical diocese remained affiliated to the Episcopal Church and called themselves the Episcopal Church in South Carolina. This group also claimed the right to the name and property of the historical diocese, including the property of 36 parishes who left. On April 20, 2022, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that 22 of the 36 parishes would keep their property. However, the court ruled that the other 14 parishes and the St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center were the property of the Episcopal Church in South Carolina and must be returned.[3]
On September 19, 2019, a federal court ruled that the trademarks and names "Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina" and "Diocese of South Carolina" were owned by the Episcopal Church and its affiliates in the state. Following this decision, the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina adopted its current name. In 2022, a final ruling of the South Carolina Supreme Court awarded eight parish properties from the ADOSC to the EDOSC, and the two dioceses agreed to settle all remaining litigation over diocesan property, names and seals, with the EDOSC retaining the name, seal and most of the property.[4]
- ^ a b "Congregational Reporting: 2023 in Review" (PDF). Anglican Church in North America. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "2019 Parochial Report Statistics" (PDF). Anglican Diocese of South Carolina. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
- ^ Dennis, Rickey (April 20, 2022). "SC Supreme Court Rules Some Breakaway Churches Must Return Properties to Episcopal Diocese". The Post and Courier. Charleston, SC. Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
- ^ Gryboski, Michael (September 26, 2022). "Anglicans, Episcopal Church reach settlement on yearslong $500 million property dispute". Christian Post. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.