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 Sgìre-easbaig Obar Dheathain agus Arcaibh
Location
Country	Scotland
Ecclesiastical province	Scotland
Subdivisions	Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Chaplaincies, The Isles
Headquarters	Marischal College, Aberdeen
Statistics
Congregations	46
Information
Denomination	Scottish Episcopal Church
Cathedral	St Andrew's Cathedral, Aberdeen
Current leadership
Bishop	Anne Dyer, Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney
Dean	Alison Simpson
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–present Alison Simpson

Churches and clergy

The diocese currently has 23 stipendiary clergy and 40 churches.

Benefice	Churches	Link	Founded (building)	Clergy
Banff^[14]	St Andrew, Banff	[1]	1722 (1833)	J. Paisey
Buckie^[15]	All Saints, Buckie	[2]	c. 1689 (1876)
Turriff^[16]	St Congan, Turriff	[3]	1738 (1862)	-
Cuminestown^[17]	St Luke, Cuminestown	[4]	C18th (1844)	-
New Pitsligo^[18]	St John the Evangelist, New Pitsligo	[5]	1835 (1870s)	-
Strichen^[19]	All Saints, Strichen	[6]	1861	-
Fraserburgh^[20]	St Peter, Fraserburgh	[7]	1721 (1892)	-
Longside^[21]	St John the Evangelist, Longside	[8]	1716 (1854)	R. O'Sullivan
Old Deer^[22]	St Drostan, Old Deer	[9]	1851
Peterhead^[23]	St Peter, Peterhead	[10]	1699 (1814)
Cruden Bay^[24]	St James the Less, Cruden Bay	[11]	C18th (1843)	-
Ellon^[25]	St Mary-on-the-Rock, Ellon		C18th (1871)
Insch^[26]	St Drostan, Insch	[12]	1894	A. MacDonald
Fyvie^[27]	All Saints, Woodhead of Fyvie	[13]	1849
Oldmeldrum^[28]	St Matthew & St George, Oldmeldrum	[14]	1863	-
Alford^[29]	St Andrew, Alford	[15]	1869	M. Blake
Auchindoir^[30]	St Mary, Auchindoir	[16]		-
Inverurie^[31]	St Mary, Inverurie	[17]	1841
Kemnay^[32]	St Anne, Kemnay	[18]	1938
Whiterashes^[33]	All Saints, Whiterashes	[19]	1858
Aberdeen (Cathedral of St Andrew)^[34]^[35]	St Andrew's Cathedral, Aberdeen	[20]	1817	I. Poobalan
Bieldside^[36]	Carpenters Arms Fellowship 4 Everyone	[21]		G. Bowyer
	St Devenick, Bieldside	[22]	1894 (1903)
Aberdeen (St Clement)^[37]	St Clement, Aberdeen	[23]	1960s	J. Lyon
Aberdeen (St Ninian)^[38]	St Ninian, Aberdeen	[24]	1936
Aberdeen (St James)^[39]	St James the Less, Aberdeen	[25]	1804	R. Green J. Souter
Aberdeen (St John the Evangelist)^[40]	St John, Aberdeen	[26]	1720 (1851)	J. Holden
Aberdeen (St Margaret of Scotland)^[41]	St Margaret of Scotland, Gallowgate	[27]	1867 (1870)	A. Nimmo
Aberdeen (St Mary)^[42]	St Mary, Carden Place	[28]	1863 (1864)	T. Taggart J. Hobbs
Cove Bay^[43]	St Mary, Cove Bay	[29]	1864	-
Bucksburn^[44]	St Machar, Bucksburn	[30]	1874 (1880)	D. Heddle
Aboyne^[45]	St Thomas, Aboyne	[31]	1909	V. Hancock
Ballater^[46]	St Kentigern, Ballater	[32]	C19th (1907)
	St Ninian's Chapel, Braemar	[33]	1895
Kincardine O'Neil^[47]	Christ Church, Kincardine O'Neil	[34]	1866	-
Banchory^[48]	St Ternan, Banchory	[35]	1851	L. Downs
Burravoe^[49]	St Colman, Burravoe	[36]	1898	N. Brice
Lerwick^[50]	St Magnus, Lerwick		1861 (1864)
Kirkwall^[51]	St Olaf, Kirkwall	[37]	1876	D. Dawson
Stromness^[52]	St Mary, Stromness	[38]	1885 (1888)	T. Miller

Former congregation

Benefice	Church	Link	Founded (building)	Seceded from SEC
Westhill Community Church^[53]	Westhill Community Church	[39]	1972 (2014)	2019

Closed churches in the diocese area

Name	Founded (building)	Closed
St Peter, Torry^[54]
St John the Baptist, Portsoy^[55]		2016
Chapel of Christ the Encompasser, Fetlar^[56]		2015
St Margaret, Braemar^[57]		2001
St Paul, Aberdeen^[58]	1867	1986

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 Cove Bay (St Mary)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
44. "The Benefice of Bucksburn (St Machar)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
45. "The Benefice of Aboyne (St Peter)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
46. "The Benefice of Ballater (St Kentigern)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
47. "The Benefice of Kincardine O'neil (Christ Church)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
48. "The Benefice of Banchory (St Ternan)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
49. "The Benefice of Burravoe (St Colman)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
50. "The Benefice of Lerwick (St Magnus)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
51. "The Benefice of Kirkwall (St Olaf)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
52. "The Benefice of Stromness (St Mary)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
53. "The Benefice of Westhill Community Church". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
54. "Geograph:: Aberdeen churches past and present". www.geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
55. "DIOCESE OF ABERDEEN AND ORKNEY, ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, PORTSOY - ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30th SEPTEMBER 2016" (PDF).
56. "Society of Our Lady of the Isles". sites.google.com. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
57. "Project History". www.stmargaretsbraemar.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
58. "Aberdeen, Loch Street, St Paul's Episcopal Church | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2018.

57°08′59″N 2°05′46″W / 57.1497°N 2.0962°W / 57.1497; -2.0962