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July 6, 2022
Dear People of Upper S.C.,
I would like to invite your prayers for the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church which convenes this Friday in Baltimore, Maryland. All of the legislative committee hearings and meetings in preparation for this Convention have taken place via ZOOM conferencing. Furthermore, the length of this convention has been shortened and the scope of participation has been narrowed in light of the ongoing challenges of COVID transmission. In short, this is a very different Convention experience for our Church.
I also ask you to pray for our Bishop, Daniel Richards; for our lay deputies, Angela Daniel, Meredith Blocker, Norah Grimball, and Whitney Evans; and for our clergy deputies, Marie Cope, Mia McDowell, Gary Eichelberger, and Furman Buchanan.
We were elected at our 2019 Diocesan Convention. Since that time, lay deputy Mary Anne Park died; clergy deputy Alan Bentrup accepted a new call that resulted in his transfer out of our diocese; and clergy deputy Mike Flanagan retired. Just this week, one of our clergy deputies and one of our lay deputies—Jack Hardaway and Tommy Lee Watson—have had to step back due to reasons beyond their control. We still have a full deputation, but no alternates at this point, so please pray for our wellness to perform the ministry we have been called to do on behalf of our diocese and the wider Church.
We look forward to sharing updates and photographs with you in these days to come.
God bless you,
Furman +
Rector, St. Peter's, Greenville
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