On Saturday, August 25, bishops, leaders, and members of the Anglican Church in North America rejoiced at St. Andrew’s Church in Mount Pleasant, SC, as they stood witness to the ordination of the Rev. Steve Wood as bishop of the newly formed Diocese of the Carolinas – a Provincial diocese that oversees parishes and missions in North and South Carolina.
The Anglican Diocese of the Carolinas equips clergy and congregations to fulfill the Great Commandments (Mk.12:29-31) and the Great Commission (Mt.28:19-20) by leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ through evangelism, personal discipleship, and the nurturing and planting of congregations.
The Rt. Rev. Steve Wood, rector of St. Andrew’s Church, is also serving as the first bishop for the Diocese of the Carolinas. Wood has been with St. Andrew’s Church and its congregation as it has grown to a membership of 3,150. Under the Bishop Wood’s leadership St. Andrew’s also has been successful in church planting, starting two churches in Goose Creek and downtown Charleston, SC.
Bishop Wood recently told The Post and Courier: “As for St. Andrew’s, you know, this is an amazing congregation. They’ve been so generous with the spiritual and temporal treasure that the Lord has given them. Over the years we’ve had the privilege of planting new churches and coming alongside existing churches to help them develop and redevelop their sense of mission and ministry. It’s been a real joy and source of satisfaction for many in our congregation. I expect we’ll continue those same kinds of things except on a larger scale.”
11 bishops and 33 priests were in the procession at last weekend’s ordination service. The Most Rev. Robert Duncan, Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America served as the Chief Consecrator and was assisted by The Rt. Rev. Stanley Ntagali (Diocese of Masindi-Kitara and Archbishop-elect of the Church of Uganda), The Rt. Rev. Roger Ames (Diocese of the Great Lakes), The Rt. Rev. Alphonza Gadsden, Sr. (Diocese of the Southeast, Reformed Episcopal Church) and The Rt. Rev. John Guernsey (Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic). Over 600 people attended the service.
“It was such a great and personal joy to be a part of the consecration of Bishop Steve Wood. Bishop Steve and I worked very closely together on Assembly 2012 as he very ably served as our Event Chairman. The parish where Bishop Wood has served as rector for the past 12 years, St. Andrew’s Mt. Pleasant, is a fountainhead of anointed ministry and church planting that will serve the new Diocese of the Carolinas well in the years to come,” said The Venerable Canon Dr. Jack Lumanog, Canon for Provincial and Global Mission.
Photo caption: Bishop Steve Wood with Canon Jack Lumanog (left) and Archbishop Robert Duncan (right) of the Anglican Church in North America (Credit: Tyrone Walker/postandcourier.com).
