A Message to the Clergy of the ADOSC
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Grace and peace to you in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Tuesday morning at 8:45 a.m., Bishop Edgar submitted a letter to Bishop Julian Dobbs, Dean of the Province, indicating voluntary submission to discipline in the matter of the Porter-Gaud chapel dedication. On Sunday evening, Bishop Edgar was notified that a Presentment had been submitted to the Province charging him with just cause for scandal or offense in violation of the disciplinary canons of the ACNA because of his conduct during the dedication service on August 18. Bishop Edgar confessed to the truth of the charge in the Presentment, stating that he should not have participated in the dedication service in the manner that he did. The College of Bishops will determine the punishment for Bishop Edgar at their meeting in Plano, Texas September 21-25, 2026. This disciplinary notice was posted to the website of the Anglican Church in North America today, and we wanted you to be aware of this fact. We, the Standing Committee of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, are in support of Bishop Edgar, and his voluntary submission to discipline is a reminder of our need for the mercy of God through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We invite the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina to pray for our Bishop, our Diocese, and the College of Bishops during this difficult time. Faithfully, The Standing Committee of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina Additional comments from Rt. Rev. Julian Dobbs Brothers and Sisters, Last week, I shared a statement with the Province reaffirming our position of principled disengagement from those who promote false teaching. I did so in the context of the participation of the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, ACNA, with a bishop of The Episcopal Church in a joint dedication of a local school chapel. The seriousness of the situation led a complement of Bishops within our College to submit a Presentment, that is, a formal canonical document that advances a disciplinary case by setting out allegations of canonical misconduct against a bishop. In response, Bishop Chip Edgar, against whom the Presentment has been issued, agreed with the charges against him and has consented to be disciplined by the College of Bishops when it gathers later this month. This act of humble submission means there will be no board of inquiry, nor a trial. You can anticipate additional communication from the College following our September gathering. I share this with heaviness of heart but in obedience to the truth Christ calls us to proclaim. Once again, I call on the faithful in the Church to pray that God would guide and sanctify His Church for the glory of His Name. In Him alone, Rt. Rev. Julian Dobbs, Dean of the Province |
It is telling about the ACNA that when an ACNA bishop is involved in a service with an Episcopal bishop who happens to be a woman, bishops stumble over themselves to file a presentment. When evidence emerges that an ACNA bishop covered up allegations of sexual abuse....crickets.
Have we all seen the latest statement by +Dobbs, and taken note of the phrase, "this act of humble submission?" I applaud +Edgar for putting himself under the judgment of his brother bishops. I hope it is not just treated as a problem of optics, but that the underlying serious theological issues will be carefully resolved.
We do live in strange times. There is little evidence of God’s grace in ACNA- a great disappointment. The denomination that once had such promise now resembles the polity of fundamentalist Baptists more than traditional Anglicanism. A new ANCA motto- “The flogging will continue until morale improves “
I havee been ordained 56 years and never have like seen something like this. Christians are called to love one another to stand together. In the sacrament of the Eucharist particularly. We live in strange times and to be united is important. After reading I noticed that both parties acknowledged their differences and tried their best to put it behind them in order to proclaim the gospel as a united Fellowship. I am so sorry to read such stories.
I agree whoever you are...excatly why I left THE acna!