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.
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.
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, and two senior clergy, the Dean (Emsley Nimmo) and another member of the Cathedral Chapter, resigned their diocesan roles in protest. After further resignations by other clergy, the Westhill Community Church voted to leave the SEC in January 2019. Bishop Dyer was suspended from office on 10 August 2022 after allegations of misconduct were made but reinstated on 8 October 2024.
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
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 2016Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney announces his retirement. Robert (Bob) Gillies 2018 IncumbentThe Rt Rev Anne Dyer, Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney. Anne Dyer First female bishop in the SEC
List of provosts
List of deans The following served as Dean of Aberdeen diocese: bef. 18461850: John Cumming, of LongsideThe Clergy List, 1846 p. 262 & 1850 p. 288 18501865: David Wilson, of Woodhead
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'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 1983 to 1988: Denis Bovey 1988 to 2008: Gerald Stranraer-Mull'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 2008 to 2017: Emsley Nimmo 2017 to 2020: vacant 2020 to 2021: Dennis Berk 2021 to 2025: vacant 2025 to present: Jennifer Holden
Churches and clergy The diocese currently has 23 stipendiary clergy and 37 churches. BeneficeChurchesLinkFounded (building)ClergyBanffSt Andrew, Banff1722 (1833)J. PaiseyBuckieAll Saints, Buckiec. 1689 (1876)TurriffSt Congan, Turriff1738 (1862) -New PitsligoSt John the Evangelist, New Pitsligo1835 (1870s) -StrichenAll Saints, Strichen1861 -FraserburghSt Peter, Fraserburgh1721 (1892) -LongsideSt John the Evangelist, Longside1716 (1854)R. O'SullivanOld DeerSt Drostan, Old Deer1851PeterheadSt Peter, Peterhead1699 (1814)Cruden BaySt James the Less, Cruden BayC18th (1843) -EllonSt Mary-on-the-Rock, EllonC18th (1871)InschSt Drostan, Insch1894A. MacDonaldFyvieAll Saints, Woodhead of Fyvie1849OldmeldrumSt Matthew & St George, Oldmeldrum1863 -AlfordSt Andrew, Alford1869M. BlakeAuchindoirSt Mary, Auchindoir-InverurieSt Mary, Inverurie1841KemnaySt Anne, Kemnay1938WhiterashesAll Saints, Whiterashes1858Aberdeen (Cathedral of St Andrew)Installation of Isaac Poobalan as Provost and Rector St Andrew's Cathedral Website.St Andrew's Cathedral, Aberdeen1817I. PoobalanBieldsideSt Devenick, Bieldside1894 (1903)Aberdeen (St Clement)St Clement, Aberdeen1960sJ. HobbsAberdeen (St Ninian)St Ninian, Aberdeen1936Aberdeen (St James)St James the Less, Aberdeen1804Aberdeen (St John the Evangelist)St John, Aberdeen1720 (1851)Aberdeen (St Margaret of Scotland)St Margaret of Scotland, Gallowgate1867 (1870)A. NimmoAberdeen (St Mary)St Mary, Carden Place1863 (1864)T. TaggartJ. HobbsBucksburnSt Machar, Bucksburn1874 (1880)D. HeddleAboyneSt Thomas, Aboyne1909BallaterSt Kentigern, BallaterC19th (1907)St Ninian's Chapel, Braemar1895Kincardine O'NeilChrist Church, Kincardine O'Neil1866 -BanchorySt Ternan, Banchory1851L. BraybrookeBurravoeSt Colman, Burravoe1898LerwickSt Magnus, Lerwick1861 (1864)KirkwallSt Olaf, Kirkwall1876D. DawsonStromnessSt Mary, Stromness1885 (1888)T. Miller
Former congregation BeneficeChurchLinkFounded (building)Seceded from SECWesthill Community ChurchWesthill Community Church1972 (2014)2019
Closed churches in the diocese area NameFounded (building)ClosedSt Peter, Torry2013St Mary the Virgin, Cove Bay18642020St Luke, Cuminestown1844St John the Baptist, Portsoy2016Chapel of Christ the Encompasser, Fetlar2015St Margaret, Braemar2001St Paul, Aberdeen18671986
Membership Between 2013 and 2023 church membership in the Diocese decreased from 4,214 to 2,419 a fall of 42.6%. According to the Scottish Episcopal Church 42nd Annual Report (2024), there are 1,577 communicants in the Diocese.
See also Bishop of Aberdeen (before and after the Reformation)
References