Brothers call a brother to a meeting. And it seems only right.

Mark Lawrence said he felt like the bishop of the diocese only after he issued the quitclaims to the parish properties. So who or what was Mark Lawrence before? Will the real bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina please stand up?

June Butler

Citing Matthew 18:15-20 while immediately going public with this letter is mind-blowingly hypocritical on Daniel's part and suggests that the Bishop ought to look into actually reading the Bible before invoking it.

I'm saddened by what's happening in my home state, South Carolina, as I have been for years now.

But I'm heartened that, now, Bishop Lawrence's provincial brothers and sisters are asking him to explain his most recent actions. May it not fall on deaf ears! Many in the Diocese have angrily laid the blame for examination of his actions at the foot of the Presiding Bishop and her staff; perhaps this will demonstrate the concern of the regional and national church more clearly to Bishop Lawrence.

This truly breaks my heart. Dear friends and members of my family have been looking for an "escape" from the Roman Catholic Church--yet they don't see any relief in the Episcopal Diocese. I can't recommend Episcopal parishes to them ... to me, this Diocese has largely gone rogue, and I just cannot trust Mark's words that he wishes to remain with the Episcopal Church (that is, on anything other than his terms).

I'm not sure what to do but pray. Please join me in praying for everyone involved. Bishop Lawrence. Kendall Harmon, Mark's mouthpiece. The diocesan leaders. Those who wish to stay in the Episcopal Church, and those who do not. Parishes yearning to remain Episcopalian, such as St. Stephen's (Charleston) and St. Mark's Chapel (Beaufort) ... and ones that have left, such as All Saints Pawleys Island.

@Christopher Johnson:

It's not clear to me WHO published the letter. The Scribd copy is by The Living Church: would that be the first choice of the writing bishops? (Maybe, I don't know)

SOMEBODY had to ask ?Lawrence about these "quitclaims" thingies. Seems like the Provincial bishops would be as good as ambassadors as any.

JC Fisher

If I had to bet a nickel, I would bet that since the letter was made public by the Living Church that it came from Bishop Lawrence or a source in the diocese, as the Living Church also had the communication from the disciplinary board clearing Bishop Lawrence first, and their coverage has been extremely favorable toward him.

Forgot to mention: I don't think we need to call Kendall Harmon a mouthpiece. He was expressing his views long before Mark Lawrence arrived in South Carolina.

Jim, *I* called Kendall his mouthpiece. Yes, he has been down there for a long time indeed trumpeting his message. What I meant is that Mark uses Kendall effectively as a vehicle to disseminate information. As he does the Living Church.

Perhaps it is my line of work, but I find the phrase needlessly disrespectful to someone whose opinions are well known, and seems to me to be his own man.

Okay. My point is that prayer is needed. I'm sorry it was lost in semantics.

The machinery of TEC is so archaic. Why go ahead and clear the good bishop on the abandonment charges, knowing full well that he had just given out the deeds?

This letter comes a little late, but better late than never. Lawrence's fellow bishops of the region are on his side. They want to give him plenty of latitude as they do not want him to bolt from the church. At the same time they know there is a limit to what the disciplinary committee will tolerate, although we do not know what that limit is yet. The bishops are trying to make peace. Lawrence should do likewise.

A word in defense of The Living Church. It has been in the forefront of presenting the news on the Lawrence affair and we should all be grateful. It does favor Lawrence, but also graciously welcomes and posts opposing views (as mine) whereas the "orthodox" blogs as Harmon and Virtue censor out comments they do not like. My wild guess is that Daniel leaked this letter to TLC. The Lawrence side tries to hide the fact that people are working behind the scenes to deal with Lawrence as this goes counter to their cherished claim that TEC is out to get the bishop of SC.

As I live in the southeast, this discussion is important to me. In spite of our political extreme red-ness in the old Dixie, Episcopal dioceses of the Deep South have chosen a much more moderate polity. Some (Atlanta, Western Carolina) are damned near "liberal".Others are, at least,not confrontational( Alabama, West Tennessee). South Carolina has become a deeply troubled place, largely because of the reactionary prince who rules it. I'm glad neighboring bishops have reached out to +Mark Lawrence, and I pray they can help convert his heart to stop the damage he is visiting on a fragile people.We all share the table, even if we disagree on the small things.

John Donnelly