We are part of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina. A diocese is a geographical grouping of local congregations with a bishop as chief pastor. The Right Reverend W. Andrew Waldo is our bishop and provides pastoral oversight for all of the congregations. The Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina is made up of 64 congregations in 22 counties in the midlands to upper part of the state – 28,000 members. Our diocese is part of the 2.3-million-member Episcopal Church in America. The Episcopal Church belongs to the worldwide Anglican Communion, 85 million members strong.
Our diocese is committed to renewal, to sharing the faith that has changed our lives, and to increasing diversity among our ranks. In doing so, we celebrate and affirm the broad Anglican tradition, which welcomes seekers, embraces inquiry, and offers a wide variety of worship styles grounded and unified by the liturgy in our Book of Common Prayer.
Our diocese’s vision is “One Body…One Mission: Changing Lives”. Our diocese’s mission is “To love with the heart of Christ, think with the mind of Christ, and act in the world as the Body of Christ”.
We are also a part of The Episcopal Church which is the national organization we belong to. The Episcopal Church is comprised of 109 dioceses spread throughout the United States, 3 regions, and 15 other nations. The Episcopal Church is dedicated to spreading the Good News of God in Jesus Christ and our official name is even the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. For information about the national Episcopal Church see https://www.episcopalchurch.org/.
The Episcopal Church is a part of the 85 million member worldwide Anglican Communion. The Anglican Communion ties us to other Christians around the world who have a shared sense of heritage and mission. The Most Rev. Justin Welby is the Archbishop of Canterbury and is head of the Anglican Communion.
