The Scottish Episcopal Church will celebrate a significant and historic event tomorrow as it consecrates
its first female Bishop. The Rev Canon Anne Dyer will be consecrated Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney at a special service in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Aberdeen on Thursday 1 March at 1pm. Following her consecration Canon Anne Dyer will become the Rt Rev Anne Dyer, Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney.
The consecration service will be attended by around 500 people including people from churches across the diocese – both mainland and island – and from the wider church as well as from other churches and faith communities across the UK and from the Episcopal Church (US). Joining them will be representatives from civic, political, business and education interests across the city and beyond.
The service will be live-streamed (from 12.45pm) – a link to this will be available at https://www.scotland.anglican.org/consecration-live-stream/
The act of consecration of Canon Anne is carried out by a number of Bishops, including current members of the College of Bishops, three former Primuses of the Scottish Episcopal Church (Bishop David Chillingworth, Bishop Idris Jones and Bishop Bruce Cameron).They will be joined by bishops from Ireland, Wales and the Baltic region.
The service will be led by the Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The Primus will also preach at the service and says “It is a great privilege and honour to consecrate Anne as the new Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney and to welcome her to the College of Bishops. This will be a very special moment in the life of the Scottish Episcopal Church and it is heartening to hear of all the good wishes that people have expressed for the new stage of ministry and leadership that Anne now takes up in the Diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney.”
The role of a Diocesan Bishop is to oversee the spiritual and practical concerns of all the clergy and lay people within their diocese and to provide leadership in mission and ministry, as well as representing the church in wider civic, business and other areas across the Diocese.
The Press & Journal published an interview with Canon Dyer on Monday which can be read at: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen/1422383/exclusive-canon-anne-dyer-speaks-about-becoming-scotlands-first-female-bishop/
The Rev Canon Anne Dyer succeeds the Rt Rev Dr Robert Gillies, who retired as Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney in October 2016.
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