South Carolina

A South Carolina megachurch officially launched its fifth campus in Charleston on Sunday, aiming to reach the 84 percent of "unchurched" people in the area.

NewSpring Church Senior Pastor Perry Noble welcomed the new site, located at the North Charleston Coliseum Convention Center, with applause during the second morning service.

"At the first service in Charleston, they had 280 people show up and they had two people surrendered in Christ," Noble joyfully reported to his congregation. "I got a text that they are putting out more chairs right now." more >>

An Episcopal advocacy group has requested an investigation of the leadership of the Diocese of South Carolina with regard to the withdrawal of parishes from the denomination.

The Episcopal Forum accused leaders in the diocese of "accelerating the process of alienation and disassociation" from The Episcopal Church.

"The Ecclesiastical Authority (the Diocesan Bishop or the Standing Committee) has done nothing to stop other parishes which outwardly appear to be moving in the direction of withdrawal from TEC," the group wrote in a letter sent this week to bishops throughout the national church body. more >>

Though the Diocese of South Carolina remains affiliated with The Episcopal Church, the two are waging a battle over Scripture and polity.

South Carolina Bishop Mark Lawrence was not hesitant this week to express his continuing frustrations with the national church body's "false gospel" and ongoing pursuit of litigations.

"The distractions that come from the decisions others have made within The Episcopal Church have created restlessness in my spirit," he said at the diocese's 219th annual convention which concluded Friday. more >>

Controversy over a morning prayer meeting at a high school in Georgetown, S.C., was settled this week as district officials offered a compromise.

Students at Georgetown High School will be allowed to form their own prayer club as long as it is open to any student and is sponsored by a faculty member.

"We want to continue to provide this kind of service for all students at Georgetown High because it is the right thing to do as well as the fact that it meets the district's and the school's goals of providing a well-rounded education for our students," Chris Miller, the school's band director who volunteered to supervise the prayer group, said to media on Wednesday. more >>

South Carolina's "I Believe" license plate that features an image of a cross in front of a stained-glass window has been ruled unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie said the specialty license plate was motivated by a purpose to advance a specific religion and has the effect of state endorsement of Christianity.

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, praised the decision, commenting, "Government must never be allowed to express favored treatment for one faith over others. That’s unconstitutional and un-American." more >>

Heeding a call by the diocesan bishop to fight the "false Gospel of indiscriminate inclusivity," Episcopalians in the Diocese of South Carolina voted on Saturday to reduce its participation in the national church.

In an 87-17 vote, with one abstention, the diocese approved a resolution to begin withdrawing from all bodies of The Episcopal Church that have assented to actions contrary to Scripture and Anglican tradition.

The withdrawal sets up "appropriate boundaries" and does not constitute a complete split from the national church. more >>