Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney

See also: Diocese of Aberdeen

The Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney is one of the seven dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Created in 1865, the diocese covers the historic county of Aberdeenshire, and the Orkney and Shetland island groups. It shares with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen a Christian heritage that can be traced back to Norman times, and incorporates the ancient Diocese of Orkney, founded in 1035.

Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney
Location
Country	Scotland
Ecclesiastical province	Scotland
Subdivisions	Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Chaplaincies, The Isles
Headquarters	Marischal College, Aberdeen
Statistics
Congregations	37
Information
Denomination	Scottish Episcopal Church
Cathedral	St Andrew's Cathedral, Aberdeen
Current leadership
Bishop	Anne Dyer, Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney
Dean	Vacant
Map
Map showing Aberdeen & Orkney within Scotland
Website
aberdeen.anglican.org

The diocese is considered the most conservative of the dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church, and was the only diocese to reject a change in the church's teaching to allow same-sex marriage in 2017.^[1]

The first female bishop of the SEC, Anne Dyer, was appointed to the diocese in November 2017 and consecrated and enthroned on 3 March 2018. Her gender, support of same-sex marriage, and the fact that she was not elected by the diocese itself (she was appointed by the College of Bishops in accordance with the SEC canonical process when a diocese fails to meet the requirements to elect its own bishop), caused some controversy,^[1][2][3] and two senior clergy, the Dean (Emsley Nimmo) and another member of the Cathedral Chapter, resigned their diocesan roles in protest.^[4] After further resignations by other clergy, the Westhill Community Church voted to leave the SEC in January 2019.^[5] Dorsey McConnell, former Bishop of Pittsburgh, took on the role of acting bishop on 1 November 2023, while Dyer remains suspended.^[6]

The diocese has a strong companion link with the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut and the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Samuel Seabury, the first Episcopal bishop outside the British Isles, was consecrated in 1784 by Robert Kilgour, Bishop of Aberdeen, and John Skinner, coadjutor bishop. Clarence Coleridge, suffragan bishop of Connecticut, was consecrated by a Bishop of Aberdeen in 1981; he was elected 13th diocesan bishop of Connecticut in 1993.

Area and population

The diocese covers the historic counties of Orkney (population 21,500), Zetland (population 23,000), Aberdeenshire except the Huntly area (population 393,000), the Banff, Buckie and Cullen areas of Banffshire (population 29,500), and the Banchory and Lower Deeside areas of Kincardineshire (population 26,000).

List of bishops

For bishops of the separate dioceses (until 1864), see Bishop of Aberdeen and Bishop of Orkney.

Bishops of Aberdeen and Orkney
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1865	1883	Thomas Suther	Died in office.
1883	1905	Arthur Douglas	Died in office.
1906	1911	Rowland Ellis	Died in office.
1912	1917	Anthony Mitchell	Died in office.
1917	1943	Frederic Deane
1943	1955	Herbert Hall	Died in office.
1956	1972	Frederick Easson
1973	1976	Ian Begg
1976	1991	Frederick Darwent
1991	2006	Bruce Cameron	Installed 1992, Primus 2000–2006.
2006	2016[7]	Robert (Bob) Gillies
2018	Incumbent[8]	Anne Dyer	First female bishop in the SEC

List of provosts

Further information: St Andrew's Cathedral, Aberdeen

List of deans

The following served as Dean of Aberdeen diocese:

• bef. 1846 – 1850: John Cumming, of Longside^[9]
• 1850 – 1865: David Wilson, of Woodhead^[9]

The following have served as Dean of Aberdeen and Orkney:

• 1865 to 1880: David Wilson (title changed)
• 1880 to 1886: Arthur Ranken
• 1886 to 1887: Alexander Harper
• 1887 to 1896: William Webster
• 1896 to 1906: William Walker
• 1907 to 1909: Myers Danson
• 1910 to 1922: James Wiseman
• 1922 to 1934: Robert Mackay
• 1934 to 1948: George Bartlet
• 1948 to 1953: John Wattie
• 1953 to 1956: Frederick Easson, later bishop
• 1956 to 1969: Richard Kerrin
• 1969 to 1972: Ian Begg, later bishop
• 1973 to 1978: Frederick Darwent, later bishop
• 1978 to 1983: Alexander Adamson^[10]
• 1983 to 1988: Denis Bovey^[11]
• 1988 to 2008: Gerald Stranraer-Mull^[12]
• 2008 to 2017: Emsley Nimmo
• 2017 to 2020: vacant
• 2020 to 2021: Dennis Berk^[13]
• 2021 to present: vacant

Churches and clergy

The diocese currently has 23 stipendiary clergy and 37 churches.

Benefice	Churches	Link	Founded (building)	Clergy
Banff[14]	St Andrew, Banff		1722 (1833)	J. Paisey
Buckie[15]	All Saints, Buckie		c. 1689 (1876)
Turriff[16]	St Congan, Turriff		1738 (1862)	-
Cuminestown[17]	St Luke, Cuminestown		C18th (1844)	-
New Pitsligo[18]	St John the Evangelist, New Pitsligo		1835 (1870s)	-
Strichen[19]	All Saints, Strichen		1861	-
Fraserburgh[20]	St Peter, Fraserburgh		1721 (1892)	-
Longside[21]	St John the Evangelist, Longside		1716 (1854)	R. O'Sullivan
Old Deer[22]	St Drostan, Old Deer		1851
Peterhead[23]	St Peter, Peterhead		1699 (1814)
Cruden Bay[24]	St James the Less, Cruden Bay		C18th (1843)	-
Ellon[25]	St Mary-on-the-Rock, Ellon		C18th (1871)
Insch[26]	St Drostan, Insch		1894	A. MacDonald
Fyvie[27]	All Saints, Woodhead of Fyvie		1849
Oldmeldrum[28]	St Matthew & St George, Oldmeldrum		1863	-
Alford[29]	St Andrew, Alford		1869	M. Blake
Auchindoir[30]	St Mary, Auchindoir			-
Inverurie[31]	St Mary, Inverurie		1841
Kemnay[32]	St Anne, Kemnay		1938
Whiterashes[33]	All Saints, Whiterashes		1858
Aberdeen (Cathedral of St Andrew)[34][35]	St Andrew's Cathedral, Aberdeen		1817	I. Poobalan
Bieldside[36]
	St Devenick, Bieldside		1894 (1903)	G. Bowyer
Aberdeen (St Clement)[37]	St Clement, Aberdeen		1960s	J. Lyon
Aberdeen (St Ninian)[38]	St Ninian, Aberdeen		1936
Aberdeen (St James)[39]	St James the Less, Aberdeen		1804	R. Green J. Souter
Aberdeen (St John the Evangelist)[40]	St John, Aberdeen		1720 (1851)	J. Holden
Aberdeen (St Margaret of Scotland)[41]	St Margaret of Scotland, Gallowgate		1867 (1870)	A. Nimmo
Aberdeen (St Mary)[42]	St Mary, Carden Place		1863 (1864)	T. Taggart J. Hobbs
Bucksburn[43]	St Machar, Bucksburn		1874 (1880)	D. Heddle
Aboyne[44]	St Thomas, Aboyne		1909	V. Hancock
Ballater[45]	St Kentigern, Ballater		C19th (1907)
	St Ninian's Chapel, Braemar		1895
Kincardine O'Neil[46]	Christ Church, Kincardine O'Neil		1866	-
Banchory[47]	St Ternan, Banchory		1851	L. Downs
Burravoe[48]	St Colman, Burravoe		1898	N. Brice
Lerwick[49]	St Magnus, Lerwick		1861 (1864)
Kirkwall[50]	St Olaf, Kirkwall		1876	D. Dawson
Stromness[51]	St Mary, Stromness		1885 (1888)	T. Miller

Former congregation

Benefice	Church	Link	Founded (building)	Seceded from SEC
Westhill Community Church[52]	Westhill Community Church		1972 (2014)	2019

Closed churches in the diocese area

Name	Founded (building)	Closed
St Peter, Torry[53]		2013
St Mary the Virgin, Cove Bay	1864	2020
St John the Baptist, Portsoy[54]		2016
Chapel of Christ the Encompasser, Fetlar[55]		2015
St Margaret, Braemar[56]		2001
St Paul, Aberdeen[57]	1867	1986

Membership

Between 2013 and 2023 church membership in the Diocese decreased from 4,214^[58] to 2,419^[59] a fall of 42.6%. According to the Scottish Episcopal Church 41st Annual Report (2023), there are 1,755 communicants in the Diocese.^[60]

See also

• Bishop of Aberdeen (before and after the Reformation)

References

1. Farley, Harry (5 January 2018). "Scottish Episcopal Church clergy rebel after 'divisive' appointment of bishop to conservative diocese". Christian Today. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
2. Farley, Harry (27 November 2017). "Splits emerge among Scottish Anglicans after gay marriage vote". Christian Today. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
3. Davies, Madeleine (5 January 2018). "Aberdeen & Orkney letter questions new Bishop". Church Times. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
4. "Resignations Follow Aberdeen & Orkney Appointment". Scottish Anglican. 25 November 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
5. "Aberdeen congregation votes to secede from the Scottish Episcopal Church". Anglican News. 18 January 2019.
6. "The College of Bishops appoints Bishop Dorsey McConnell as new Acting Bishop in Aberdeen and Orkney". Scottish Episcopal Church. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
7. Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney announces his retirement.
8. The Rt Rev Anne Dyer, Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney.
9. The Clergy List, 1846 p. 262 & 1850 p. 288
10. 'ADAMSON, Very Rev. Alexander Campbell', Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 8 Sept 2017
11. "Denis Philip Bovey". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
12. 'STRANRAER-MULL, Very Rev. Gerald', Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 accessed 7 Sept 2017
13. "New Dean for Aberdeen & Orkney". The Scottish Episcopal Church. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
14. "The Benefice of Banff (St Andrew)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
15. "The Benefice of Buckie (All Saints)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
16. "The Benefice of Turriff (St Congan)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
17. "The Benefice of Cuminestown (St Luke)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
18. "The Benefice of New Pitsligo (St John the Evangelist)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
19. "The Benefice of Strichen (All Saints)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
20. "The Benefice of Fraserburgh (St Peter)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
21. "The Benefice of Longside (St John)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
22. "The Benefice of Old Deer (St Drostan)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
23. "The Benefice of Peterhead (St Peter)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
24. "The Benefice of Cruden Bay (St James the Less)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
25. "The Benefice of Ellon (St Mary On the Rock)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
26. "The Benefice of Insch (St Drostan)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
27. "The Benefice of Fyvie (All Saints)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
28. "The Benefice of Oldmeldrum (St Matthew)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
29. "The Benefice of Alford (St Andrew)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
30. "The Benefice of Auchindoir (St Mary)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
31. "The Benefice of Inverurie (St Mary)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
32. "The Benefice of Kemnay (St Anne)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
33. "The Benefice of Whiterashes (All Saints)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
34. Installation of Isaac Poobalan as Provost and Rector St Andrew's Cathedral Website.
35. "The Benefice of Aberdeen (Cathedral of St Andrew)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
36. "The Benefice of Bieldside (St Devenick)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
37. "The Benefice of Aberdeen (St Clement)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
38. "The Benefice of Aberdeen (St Ninian)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
39. "The Benefice of Aberdeen (St James)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
40. "The Benefice of Aberdeen (St John the Evangelist)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
41. "The Benefice of Aberdeen (St Margaret of Scotland)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
42. "The Benefice of Aberdeen (St Mary)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
43. "The Benefice of Bucksburn (St Machar)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
44. "The Benefice of Aboyne (St Peter)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
45. "The Benefice of Ballater (St Kentigern)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
46. "The Benefice of Kincardine O'neil (Christ Church)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
47. "The Benefice of Banchory (St Ternan)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
48. "The Benefice of Burravoe (St Colman)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
49. "The Benefice of Lerwick (St Magnus)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
50. "The Benefice of Kirkwall (St Olaf)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
51. "The Benefice of Stromness (St Mary)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
52. "The Benefice of Westhill Community Church". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
53. "Geograph:: Aberdeen churches past and present". www.geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
54. "DIOCESE OF ABERDEEN AND ORKNEY, ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, PORTSOY - ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30th SEPTEMBER 2016" (PDF).
55. "Society of Our Lady of the Isles". sites.google.com. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
56. "Project History". www.stmargaretsbraemar.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
57. "Aberdeen, Loch Street, St Paul's Episcopal Church | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
58. "Scottish Episcopal Church 31st Annual Report" (PDF). scotland.anglican.org. The General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
59. "Scottish Episcopal Church 41st Annual Report" (PDF). scotland.anglican.org. The General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
60. "Scottish Episcopal Church 41st Annual Report" (PDF). scotland.anglican.org. The General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Retrieved 19 October 2024.

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