An Introduction to the Diocese

The Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney is in the north-east of Scotland and comprises the City of Aberdeen, most of Aberdeenshire, a small part of Moray, and the Shetland Isles, and the ancient Diocese of Orkney, founded in 1035. The Diocese has 43 congregations and two religious communities.

The Diocese’s Bishop is the Right Reverend Dr Robert (Bob) Gillies, elected in April 2007 and consecrated on 22 September 2007.

The Diocese’s Cathedral, St Andrew’s, in King Street, is close to the site of the consecration of the first bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Samuel Seabury. Seabury was ordained in 1784, by the then Bishop of Aberdeen Robert Kilgour. The consecration took place in the former St Andrew’s Chapel in Longacre, a site long since lost to redevelopment which was situated between the present cathedral and the city’s Marischal College. A plaque in the Marischal College quadrangle commemorates the consecration, which effectively gave birth to the world wide Anglican Communion.

The Diocese continues to maintain strong links with the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut. Clarence Coleridge, suffragan bishop of Connecticut, was consecrated by a bishop of Aberdeen in 1981. Coleridge was elected 13th diocesan bishop of Connecticut in 1993.

Aberdeen and Orkney is also is linked with the Diocese of Mthatha, in South Africa.

Further Information

The following resources provide further information about the Diocese and its history:

A Brief History of the Scottish Episcopal Church
An online version of ‘A Church for Scotland’ by Gerald Stranraer-Mull.

Aberdeen and Orkney Wikipedia entry
Includes a list of all past Bishops of Aberdeen and Orkney.

Samuel Seabury Wikipedia entry
A very full overview of the circumstances regarding the consecration of Samuel Seabury.

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