NOTE FROM BB: Here we are! Ellis is terrific and wise and I've known Steve through our work as Alpha Regional Advisors - he's a visionary and passionate for the Gospel and evangelism. Not sure about Mark - St. Stephen's in McKeesport was a bit odd when I visited it after he left - I was on my way back from a course at TESM and and it was, shall we say, an unusual experience. But I can give my wholehearted support to Ellis and Steve. May God give the leaders of South Carolina wisdom and discernment as they make their choice for their next bishop. Ellis and Steve are remarkable men who love Jesus and have a biblical and evangelistic vision for His Church - I don't know how I'd choose. Well done, South Carolina! Nominees for Bishop Announced
July 27, 2006
Dear Friends,
I am pleased to announce to you that the Standing Committee has concluded its work. The required background checks have been accomplished. The psychological exams required by canon law have been satisfactorily completed, and we are now free publicly to announce the names of those we shall nominate for the position of Bishop of South Carolina.
They are:
The Rev Canon Ellis Brust of Atlanta
The Very Rev. Mark Lawrence of Bakersfield, CA
The Rev. Steve Wood, Rector of St. Andrew’s, Mt. Pleasant
I am grateful to Fr. Greg Kronz and the Search Committee for their months of hard work.
I am also grateful to the many others who allowed their names to be considered. We have many faithful priests in South Carolina, and we are all blessed by their many gifts of leadership.
Please study carefully the material enclosed with this letter.
Please pray diligently for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Delegates to the Special Convention and all canonically resident clergy eligible to vote will gather at St. Philip’s Church, Charleston for the “walk about” on September 9. Registration will begin at 8:00. The actual program will begin at 10:00 sharp. Each nominee will make a brief opening statement, followed by responses to prepared questions from the Standing Committee. There will also be ample opportunity for members of the clergy and lay delegates to ask questions of any of the nominees. There is limited space available at the “walk about” for other members of the diocese who are not delegates.
The election will take place at St. Philip’s Church the following Saturday, September 16, beginning with the Holy Eucharist at 9:30
Registration materials for both of these events have been sent previously to every congregation. If you for some reason have not received your registration materials, please contact Randy McPhail in the Diocesan office (843-722-4075).
Grace and peace,
Fr. Dow Sanderson, President
Diocese of South Carolina
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The Reverend Canon Ellis English Brust
The Rev. Canon Ellis English Brust is Chief Operating Officer and Chaplain to the President of the American Anglican Council (AAC) headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Canon Brust is committed to proclaiming the Good News of God in Christ; to upholding traditional Christian teaching; and to implementing the apostolic model of equipping the saints for works of ministry through evangelism, discipleship, worship, personal spiritual growth and stewardship. He has a passionate desire to serve Jesus Christ and the church as an effective and visionary leader.
In his current position, Canon Brust oversees the day-to-day operations, strategic planning, resource development and spiritual oversight of the AAC, as well as providing pastoral care to the staff. Canon Brust also represents the AAC in its domestic and international diplomatic ministries. Prior to joining the AAC, he was Canon to the Ordinary for the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, where he assisted Bishop Stephen Jecko in administration, strategic planning and congregational development of the 75 churches in the diocese. Ordained in 1984, he has served parishes in Midland, Crockett, Katy and Longview, Texas, and has been elected and appointed to numerous diocesan and community leadership positions.
Canon Brust holds a master’s in divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s degree from Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas. He has written devotions for Bible Reading Fellowship and other publications and is a frequent retreat leader and parish consultant. Canon Brust has been a conference speaker in the United States, United Kingdom, Cuba and Nigeria. He is married to Cynthia, a native of Winnsboro, South Carolina; they have two children: Rebecca, 20, a senior at Converse College; and William, 17, a junior in high school. Canon Brust enjoys reading, writing, music, golf, spending time with his family, and relaxing at their cottage in western North Carolina.
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The Very Rev. Mark J. Lawrence
A fifth generation Californian, and a native of Bakersfield, he attended local public schools, wrestled in high school and college, graduating from California State University, Bakersfield in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. After earning a Master of Divinity from Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in 1980, Fr. Lawrence has spent his entire ordained ministry in parish work. After his diaconal year 1980-81, which he spent assisting in a newly planted church in suburban Fresno, California, and as chaplain at Fresno State University, Bishop Victor Rivera appointed him as the vicar of St. Mark’s Shafter, an Anglo-catholic congregation in the rural San Joaquin Valley. The three years he was vicar the Sunday attendance grew by 65 %. He also served as chairman of the diocesan Church Growth Committee and was a delegate to Provincial Synod.
In 1984 he was called as Rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, McKeesport, Pennsylvania, located in the aging, depressed and declining steel mill region in the Monongahela Valley of greater Pittsburgh. While the region continued to face economic and demographic decline, in the 13 years he served as rector, the parish grew in average Sunday attendance by over 50% and in communicant strength by over a 100 members. The congregation also sponsored an innovative ministry to “street people” and in 1991 established the Mon Valley Tri-Parish Ministry, where Fr. Lawrence put together a clergy staff to oversee two smaller churches in the region—St. John’s, Donora and Transfiguration, Clairton, Pa. He also served extensively in diocesan duties—Standing Committee, Commission on Ministry, Chairman of the Board of Examining Chaplains, Cathedral Chapter, Calvary Camp, and was the liaison with the Anglican Diocese of Chile. He also participated on several community boards from the McKeesport Hospital Ethics Committee to the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army.
In 1997, after 13 years in McKeesport, Pa, he was called to be rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Parish in Bakersfield, California - his home parish in his hometown. Here too the parish has grown by over 50% in average Sunday attendance and the annual budget by 150%. He has also served as rural dean, on Diocesan Council, Board of Examining Chaplains, and lectured in Anglican and Episcopal Church History at the San Joaquin School for Ministry, (a joint venture of the diocese, TESM and the Fresno Mennonite Seminary). He has served as a deputy to General Convention in 2003 and 2006.
He is a member of the Order of St. Luke, the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, and has been active in Cursillo.
He was married to Allison Taylor in 1973. They have five children, and six grandchildren. All are active in parish life and Christian ministry.
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The Rev. Stephen D. Wood
Ministry Leadership
Rector, St. Andrew’s Church, Mt. Pleasant (2000-present)
Rector, St. Mary’s Church, Goose Creek (2005-present)
Associate Rector and Chief of Staff, St. Luke’s Church, Bath, OH (1996-2000)
Vicar, St. Anne-in-the-Fields, Madison, OH (1991-1996)
Diocesan Leadership
Evangelism Commission (2001-2003)
Commission on Ministry (2001-2005)
Ecclesiastical Court (2004-present)
Standing Committee (2005-present)
Regional & National Leadership
Anglican Communion Network Council Member (2005-present)
Alpha North America, National Core Leadership Team (2005-present)
New Wine International, USA Leader (2002-present)
The Order of Mission, North American Senior (2004-present)
Alpha Regional Advisor (1997-present)
Other Ministry Leadership
Changing Families Ministries, Board of Directors (2002-present)
Drawing Near to God Ministries, Board of Directors (2002-present)
Onward to Omega, Board of Directors (2004-present)
Community Leadership
Wando High School, School Improvement Council (2003-2006)
Education
Master of Divinity, Virginia Theological Seminary (1991).
Bachelor of Arts in History, Cleveland State University (1986).
Family: Wife – Jacqui. Sons – Aaron (20), Tim (16), Nick (13) and Sammy (9).
Outside interests: family activities, cycling, hiking and reading.
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