South Carolina Episcopal Bishop Resigns Orders in The Episcopal Church
by David Virtue, Virtueonline:
William Jones Skilton, ordained the first suffragan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina, has resigned his orders after he was barred from visiting churches that still remain with The Episcopal Church.
In a letter to Virtueonline, Bishop Skilton said that after much prayer he wrote Bishop Michael Curry asking that he be released and removed from his orders in The Episcopal Church. “This is the church where I was baptized, confirmed and nurtured until I came to the US from Cuba.”
“For a number of years, I have said that TEC seeks reconciliation totally on their terms and a biblical conservative has no place there anymore. The call to conversation is only to have you “come over” to their position and we are invited to stay in TEC and “exist” but not allowed to flourish.”
“I tried to minister across the great abyss of differences in South Carolina only to be told by TEC that I could not do this and [they] barred me from visiting churches that remained with the Episcopal Church or even being invited by these churches.”
“I don’t need to tell you how difficult this was and the hospitality and kindness extended to me by Bishop [Mark] Lawrence made it possible to visit Anglican churches.” Skilton said it had been a blessing to worship and assist at Old St. Andrews Anglican Church when this was possible.
Skilton said he got a call from Bishop Curry regretting that he was taking these steps, but nonetheless released him as of December 6, 2020.
“I can now join the long list of those who have left this Church that they love.”
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