Scotland’s first female bishop – who has been accused of bullying – has begun a phased return to work. The Scottish Episcopal Church’s Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, the Right Reverend Anne Dyer, was suspended in 2022 and was due to face a disciplinary tribunal after three complaints were made against her. However, following a…
‘No prospect’ of my resigning, writes Bishop Dyer after pressure is applied
The Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney, the Rt Revd Anne Dyer, said on Friday that some of her episcopal colleagues had chosen to “threaten” her in an “unprofessional and un-Christian manner” by asking her to resign. “For the avoidance of doubt, there is no prospect that I will allow them to pressure me into quitting…
Four Scottish bishops urge Dyer to consider her position
Four of the six diocesan bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church, including the Primus, have urged the Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney, the Rt Revd Anne Dyer, to consider whether she is the right person to lead the diocese, in light of the response to her reinstatement. On Thursday afternoon, the Primus, the Most Revd…
Angry parishioners cut Scottish Episcopal Church from their wills after bullying claims against its first female bishop are dropped
Members of the Scottish Episcopal Church are threatening to leave while others have vowed to remove it from their wills after bullying complaints against its first female bishop were dropped. Some claimed the decision by its independent procurator that it was not in the public interest to pursue a tribunal has made a ‘mockery’ of the…
Disciplinary proceedings against Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney dropped
Disciplinary proceedings against the Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney, the Rt Revd Anne Dyer, have been dropped, even though the Scottish Episcopal Church’s Procurator said that there had been a “realistic prospect of conviction”. In a “note of reasons”, published on Tuesday evening, the Procurator, Paul Reid KC, wrote that proceeding with the prosecution was not…
Canon 54 process concludes after review by independent Procurator
During the Canon 54 process enacted following complaints made against the Rt Rev Anne Dyer, Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, the independent Procurator to the Scottish Episcopal Church has kept under continuous review his decision of May this year to take charges to the Clergy Disciplinary Tribunal. Having maintained that review throughout discussions with involved…
Discipline Tribunal hearing to be rescheduled
The Clergy Discipline Tribunal hearing into allegations against Bishop Anne Dyer, scheduled for September 2024, has been postponed following an application on behalf of the Bishop for further preparation time. The request was granted by the Tribunal. The hearing was scheduled to begin on 10 September 2024 in Edinburgh, and work is now underway to…
Last call for views on ‘assisted dying’
There are three weeks remaining during which submissions can be made to the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee ‘Call for Views’ on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill. The purpose of the call for evidence is to gather views on the Bill which will inform the Committee’s scrutiny. The…
Bishop Dyer case expected to cost Scottish Episcopal Church £½m
The disciplinary process concerning the Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney, the Rt Revd Anne Dyer, is expected to cost the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) more than £500,000, The Sunday Times has reported. Accounts published in advance of this week’s meeting of the Church’s General Synod show that £325,000 was spent last year on legal and other fees related to…
Investigation into ‘bullying’ by female bishop set to cost church £500,000
The cost of investigating complaints of bullying and financial impropriety made against Scotland’s first woman bishop is on track to reach more than £500,000. The Right Rev Anne Dyer was suspended as the Anglican bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney in 2022, a year after priests and church staff came forward to claim that she was…
Diocese of Argyll & The Isles elects new Bishop
A new Bishop has been chosen in the Diocese of Argyll and The Isles, with the Rev David Railton elected to the position that has been vacant since the death of Bishop Keith Riglin in September 2023. Mr Railton accepted the post following a vote of the Electoral Synod, held today in Oban. He becomes…
Discipline Tribunal to hear complaints against Bishop Dyer
In November 2023, the Preliminary Proceedings Committee (PPC) of the Scottish Episcopal Church referred to the Church’s Procurator a number of complaints lodged under Canon 54 against the Rt Rev Anne Dyer, Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney. The complaints had been referred to the Procurator for further consideration following investigation by the PPC. The Procurator,…
Bishop faces fresh allegations over church accounting
The Rt Rev Anne Dyer, who was previously embroiled in a bullying scandal, is alleged to have overseen the submission of ‘misleading and untrue’ documentation.
Dr Dee Bird is appointed new Secretary General
The General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church will welcome a new Secretary General when Dr Dee Bird takes up the position this summer. Dr Bird joins the General Synod Office from Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association where she has been Chief Executive Officer since 2020.
Church appoints new Procurator
A new Procurator has been appointed by the Scottish Episcopal Church, with immediate effect. Paul Reid KC takes on the position following the resignation of his predecessor Alan McLean KC. In November last year, the Preliminary Proceedings Committee of the Scottish Episcopal Church concluded its investigation into complaints lodged under Canon 54 regarding Bishop Anne Dyer….
Bishop to answer bullying and misconduct accusations
The Scottish Episcopal Church’s procurator, or senior legal officer, has been tasked with investigating complaints of bullying and misconduct lodged against the church’s first woman bishop, the Rt. Rev. Anne Dyer.
Bishop Dorsey McConnell is new Acting Bishop in Aberdeen and Orkney
The College of Bishops has appointed Bishop Dorsey McConnell to take over from Bishop John Armes as Acting Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney. The appointment of Bishop Dorsey is to provide cover for the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney during Bishop Anne Dyer’s continuing absence and her return to work at any point will bring…
Bishop Keith Riglin RIP (1957-2023)
It is with great sadness that the College of Bishops today announces the death of the Right Reverend Dr Keith Riglin, Bishop of Argyll & The Isles. Bishop Keith died peacefully with family at his side today (24 September) at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley following a short illness. The Most Rev Mark Strange,…
Summer edition of SEI Journal
The Summer 2023 edition of the Scottish Episcopal Institute Journal is now available, featuring the theme of ‘Christianity and Zionism.
Church Times reports on General Synod
Reports from the Church Times newspaper on last week’s General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church, including recorded interview with the Primus.
Scottish Primus asks for patience as Dyer crisis drags on
The General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church opened on Thursday on a sombre note, as the Primus, the Most Revd Mark Strange, read out a pastoral statement about the continued suspension of the Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney, the Rt Revd Anne Dyer.
General Synod reports
Official reports on this week’s General Synod can be seen on the Scottish Episcopal Church website.
General Synod 2023 highlights include Net Zero Action Plan and first ever address by Moderator
The General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church will meet at St Paul’s & St George’s Episcopal Church in Edinburgh, from Thursday 8 June to Saturday 10 June 2023. The agenda and papers have now been sent to members and published here on the Scottish Episcopal Church website, detailing the business scheduled. Among the headline items are…
Episcopal Synod decides appeal
The bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church have rejected – on a split vote – an appeal by the Rt Rev Anne Dyer against her suspension as Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney following the lodging of formal complaints of misconduct.
Prayers to mark the death of The Queen and accession of The King
The Liturgy Committee of the Scottish Episcopal Church has produced three prayers, approved by the College of Bishops, to mark the death of the monarch, the repose of the deceased monarch, and the accession of the new monarch. They are as follows …
Tributes to Queen Elizabeth
The Archbishop of Canterbury + Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church + Bishop of Glasgow & Galloway + Moderator of the General Assembly + Roman Catholic Bishops
Meeting of Episcopal Synod postponed
The meeting of the Episcopal Synod scheduled for today has been postponed. The meeting, which was arranged to consider the appeal by the Rt Rev Anne Dyer against her suspension as Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney, has been rescheduled for Monday 19 September.
Episcopal Synod meets to agree appeal process
The Episcopal Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church met in Edinburgh yesterday to consider procedure relating to the appeal by the Rt Rev Anne Dyer against her suspension as Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney. • Read more on this topic Earlier this month, Bishop Dyer was suspended by the Primus following the lodging of formal…
Bishop’s suspension is confirmed then lifted
Canonical process confirmed in Diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney + Bishop’s suspension is lifted after appeal lodged
General Synod reports
What happened at the Scottish Episcopal Church’s ‘annual conference’, held earlier this month.