No Election for South Carolina

From the Rev. J. Haden McCormick, President of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of South Carolina via titusonenine:

I received a phone call late this afternoon from the Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori giving notification that she was declaring null and void the election of The Very Rev. Mark Lawrence to be bishop of The Diocese of South Carolina. Although more than a majority of dioceses had voted to consent to Fr. Mark’s election, there were canonical deficiencies in the written responses sent to us. Several dioceses, both on and off American soil, thought that electronic permission was sufficient as had been their past accepted practice. The canons which apply are III.11.4(b), pp. 101-102 in the newly published 2006 Constitutions and Canons that require the prescribed testimonial to the consent be signed by a majority of each standing committee.

Read the rest here ... and do keep Mark Lawrence+ and his family in your prayers along with the Diocese of South Carolina as it continues its search for a new bishop.