1115 Marion Street, Columbia, SC 29201  ·   803-771-7800  ·       Clergy

Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina
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Websites

Your website is the first thing that a newcomer will look for if they are going to visit your church. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for when it comes to websites. But that doesn't mean that you have to spend a lot to get a lot. Before you sign a contract with a developer, consult someone who has walked the same road as you before. It ensures that you aren't paying for a Rolls Royce to get to and from the grocery store.

Click here to view our website self-audit.


Contact Courtney Thompson, EDUSC Director of Communications, for assistance in developing a strategy for your parish website.


Website Design Tips

Seven Whole Days, the blog of the Rev. Scott Gunn, has a series of posts on church websites:

  • Thirteen Commandments for your website
  • Make great websites for cheap!
  • How to Kill Your Church by Misusing the Internet

Website Platform Options

Membership Vision, a website builder specifically for churches, is what EDUSC uses. Their platform aims to address several issues churches tend to have with their websites: how current information is, how engaging the content is, how to find time to both update the website and write the newsletter, how to remember how to do those things that rarely need editing, and how to integrate audio and video for a richer user experience.

Squarespace, launched in 2004, is a feature-rich platform that is very user friendly for non-tech people. It is a drag and drop website builder and is focused on creating a highly polished experience for users. Squarespace performs well on mobile. Its templates are responsive, meaning you can "resize your browser and the content," according to a five-star review on blog Website Builder Expert. A truly responsive website is priceless in the digital age of tablets and mobile devices.

Wordpress, a blogging platform around since 2003, is a robust platform. Wordpress has a a lot to offer: You can optimize SEO, add plugins, explore analytics, add donation tools, and more. You can create a complex site with multiple menus and substructures with Wordpress. The learning curve can be tough if you're not tech-savvy. On WordPress, you have to spend time to really get what you want and get familiar with the site's complex network of how things work. You'll also have to learn a bit of HTML. While that will help you in the long run, it's frustrating to try building an effective site and get into coding 101.

Weebly starts off free, but subscriptions range from $8 to $38 per month. Subscription service to weebly allows you to remove weebly branding/ads. The platform has a variety of themes, and easily walks you through its setup, from creating pages to adding text. For very simple websites without a lot of pages or content, and for easy administration of a drag & drop builder, Weebly is a good solution.

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Communications Contacts

Canon Alan Bentrup
Canon for Evangelism and Mission
803.771.7800, ext. 111 
Courtney Thompson
​Director of Communications
803.771.7800, ext. 110 

Canon Alan Bentrup

Canon for Evangelism and Mission
803.771.7800, ext. 111 |
  • Staff Liaison, Commission on Mission
  • Staff Liaison, Fellowship of SC Bishops’ Public Education Initiative
  • Staff Liaison, Commission on Convocations
  • Bishop’s Liaison to Voorhees College
  • Asset Map (ERD)
  • Episcopal Relief and Development
  • Diocesan Disaster Relief
  • EDUSC Emergency Relief Fund
  • Environmental Stewardship
  • MORE Justice Ministry
  • World Missions
  • Communications and Public Relations
  • Marketing Strategies
  • Press Releases
  • Media Relations
  • General Convention Media Coverage

Courtney Thompson

​Director of Communications
803.771.7800, ext. 110 |
  • Communications
  • Diocesan Publications: e~dusc news, Clergy News, Print News and Crosswalk
  • EDUSC Website
  • Press Releases
  • Social Media
  • Diocesan Communicators Group
  • Media Relations

Submit a Story

Do you have something to share? We invite you to submit the stories of making, equipping, and sending mature disciples of Christ in your congregation and community. Click here to submit a story idea for us to share with the diocese.

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Episcopal Diocese of
Upper South Carolina

1115 Marion Street
Columbia, SC 29201

Tel: (803) 771-7800

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Liturgical Congregational Financial Administration Clergy & Spouses

This section includes the Bishop's Visitation schedule, Confirmation guidelines, Cycles of Prayer and other resources.

Liturgical Resources

Resources related to administration, communication, development, discernment, transition, grants, Safe Church Training, same-sex marriage and more.

Congregational Resources

Find the Statement of Mission, Business Manual, notes on Parochial Reports and more.

Financial Administration Resources

Resources for current clergy, retired clergy and clergy spouses.

Clergy & Spouse Resources