South Carolina Diocese Returns to Court on Wednesday
Oral arguments in the South Carolina Supreme Court by the Episcopal Church in South Carolina will be heard at 10:30 EDT on Wednesday, September 23. The SC Supreme Court has a live feed available for those who would like to watch the arguments. A recorded version of the arguments will be available later. So far the South Carolina Courts have sided with those who left the Episcopal Church, giving them rights to all property including the diocesan name and seal as well as the endowments and real estate. The Episcopal Church in South Carolina provided background and information on how to watch the live or recorded arguments here. Background on the appeal can be found in Update stories here and here.Speculation Rife About January 2016 Primates Meeting
Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby's announcement that invitations had gone out to a special meeting of the leaders of the 38 churches and several extra-provincial leaders that are part of the Anglican Communion, and also an invitation to the ACNA Archbishop, Foley Beach to attend part of the meeting has had bloggers and church watchers from all sides speculating about who will actually go and what the meeting means. The specified topic of the meeting is the structure of the Anglican Communion. GAFCON leaders are "prayerfully" considering their attendance because Welby did not fully embrace their position. They had earlier told Welby they would not attend unless the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada leaders were excluded and the ACNA Archbishop fully included. Beach is treating the invitation as evidence he has been fully invited into the group. The Archbishop of Kenya, current chair of the GAFCON group, is sending some mixed signals. Welby's comments included suggestions of a much less structured Anglican Communion.Response has ranged from predictions that the Anglican Communion is dead, to those saying that the communion was returning to its roots.