Posted Monday 23 April 2007
Four candidates have been short-listed for the post of Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness (one of the seven dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church) which became vacant last November following the retirement of the Right Reverend John Crook, who served the diocese as Bishop for seven years.
The candidates have been selected by a small committee, chaired by the Primus, of clergy and church members representing the diocese and the wider Church. The next stage in the selection process is a meeting of each of the candidates with members of an Electoral Synod (representatives of clergy and lay church members from the diocese only). That meeting will take place on 26 May, with the election of the successful candidate taking place on 2 June.
The candidates are:
- The Ven Richard Gillings, Archdeacon of Macclesfield.
- The Very Rev Alexander Gordon, Provost of St Andrew's Cathedral, Inverness.
- The Rev Canon Mark Strange, Rector of Holy Trinity Church, Elgin and Priest in Charge of St Margaret's, Lossiemouth; St Michael's, Dufftown and St Margaret's, Aberlour and Canon of St Andrew's Cathedral, Inverness and Synod Clerk of the Diocese of Moray, Ross & Caithness.
- The Ven Dr Ian Young, Archdeacon emeritus in Cyprus and the Gulf, Chaplain in Qatar, Canon of St Paul's Cathedral, Nicosia, and Canon of St Christopher's Cathedral, Bahrain.
Commenting on the short-list, the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, The Most Rev Dr Idris Jones says: "The Preparatory Committee commends these candidates to the Electors with confidence that from among them a new Bishop can be chosen who will lead the Diocese forward with a renewed sense of mission in the Highlands."
Category: Bishops, Dioceses, Moray, Ross & Caithness
