Lawrence Bid Fails

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori delivered the news to the Diocese of South Carolina this afternoon that its bishop-elect, the Very Rev. Mark Lawrence, has failed to receive sufficient consents for consecration. Some of the consents received from diocesan standing committees, apparently, were technically defective, leaving fewer than the required 56 valid consents. I, for one, am eagerly awaiting an ENS story that may clarify matters. For now, I have only seen a statement on the Diocese of South Carolina’s Web site announcing (from its point of view) the bad news. Because of my involvement in the campaign to prevent Fr. Lawrence’s consecration, I sent out a press release, which you can read here. I may have more to say when more information about the consent process becomes available.