Dannals, Christ Church, and financial contributions to diocese

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The Greenville News (South Carolina)

March 7, 2005 Monday

SECTION: METRO; Pg. 13B

LENGTH: 1336 words
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But all this controversy has little to do with the work of the church, in the opinion of Upstate parishioners such as Cecil Nelson, who heads a capital campaign at Christ Church that has raised $9.25 million toward the construction and renovation project.

"It's unfortunate that we find ourselves in this situation, but we need to focus on our mission here in the community and beyond," he said. "I'm sure that the people that benefit from our mission and outreach don't really care what's going on in New Hampshire."

But some members of Christ Church, the sixth-largest Episcopal parish in the nation, feel strongly enough about the issue that the church no longer sends money to the denomination, said the Rev. Bob Dannals, rector.

The money that would have gone to the diocese [Upper South Carolina] and the national church now is used for missions work approved by the bishop but separate from the diocesan budget, he said. A few members make their contributions only to the parish, and some make contributions to the national church on their own.

Three of the 65 churches of the diocese have started withholding some of the money that would have gone to the diocese and national church, the bishop [Dorsey Henderson] said, which his office estimates may account for more than half of a $418,000 shortfall in the diocesan budget this year.

"Some of that is due to the economy," he said. "Some of it is due to those options that those three congregations gave to their communicants."
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Dannals is a candidate for bishop coadjutor of The Diocese of Virginia; the coadjutor becomes the bishop of the diocese upon the retirement of Peter Lee. It is not known to me whether Dannals would have preferred that his parish had not withheld contributions. It is also not clear whether the fact that while he was rector Christ Church withheld contributions (as a consiencious objection to the ordination of Bishop Robinson) enhances his capacity to lead The Diocese of Virginia.