Inspires Online

Pisky.Scot

Pisky.Scot is the online magazine of the Scottish Episcopal Church. It was launched in June when the printed inspires magazine came to an end.

If you register with Pisky.Scot you will be sent a regular update of the articles posted to this,  and you might consider submitting an article yourself. Pisky.Scot can be read here.

It’s beginning to look a lot like…. Advent

Looking Forward Together – Each day throughout Advent you will be able to watch a short video in the Scottish Episcopal Church’s (SEC) digital Advent Calendar. The opening of each daily Advent calendar ‘window’ on the SEC website will reveal a short video reflecting a variety of Advent related themes and reflections – highlighting how the Church is living out the Advent promise and how individuals and groups respond to the call of Advent and look forward together to the Birth of Christ.

Historic moment in Scottish Episcopal Church as it elects first female bishop

The Episcopal Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church has elected the Rev Canon Anne Dyer as the new Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney. Canon Dyer will be consecrated Bishop in a service held in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Aberdeen on Thursday 1 March 2018.

The General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church voted to allow the election of female bishops in 2003, Canon Dyer is the first woman to be elected Bishop. The See of Aberdeen and Orkney became vacant last November when the Rt Rev Dr Robert Gillies retired as Bishop of the Diocese.

Canon Dyer has been Rector of Holy Trinity church, Haddington since 2011. Her wider church involvement includes being a member of the Scottish Episcopal Institute Council and a member of General Synod.

Being in the first group of women for each of these Orders, Canon Dyer was ordained Deacon in 1987 and Priest in 1994 in Rochester. She served as Warden of Cranmer Hall, Durham and before that was Ministry Development Officer in the Diocese of Rochester. Prior to ordination Anne Dyer read Chemistry at St Anne’s College, Oxford and was a Business Systems Analyst with Unilever before training for ordained ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and studying theology at King’s College London.

Canon Dyer is Chair of the East Lothian Foodbank and is also a regular lecturer across Edinburgh and the Lothians on the subject of fine art and theology.

On hearing of her election Canon Dyer said “I am delighted to be elected by the Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church to serve as Bishop in the United Diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney. It will be a privilege to lead the people of this diocese as they continue to make known the love of God to those in their communities and beyond. I am looking forward to both the challenge and excitement of serving and worshiping together in diverse locations across the diocese and to joining the College of Bishops.”

The Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church says “I am delighted to welcome the Rev Canon Anne Dyer to the College of Bishops. Anne brings with her a wealth of experience in theological education and mission development, and has so many of the gifts sought by the diocese together with a deeply loving and generous personality.

I am also delighted that those gifts have allowed us to elect a woman to our College of Bishops. Please pray for Anne, her family, for the congregation at Haddington and for the Diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney as they journey on in faith.”

A Parliamentary Motion to congratulate the Rev Canon Anne Dyer on being elected as Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney and also in being the first female bishop in the Scottish Episcopal Church and wishing her well in her Ministry has been submitted by Alexander Burnett MSP for Aberdeenshire West and Shadow Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy.

Sleep in the Park – to end Homelessness

Many people from across the Scottish Episcopal Church, including the Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church and his family will join thousands of people taking part in a mass sleep-out in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh on 9 December to highlight the issue of homelessness and to raise funds and awareness to bring Homelessness in Scotland to an end.

Full details of the event can be read here https://www.sleepinthepark.co.uk/

Each person taking part in the sleep-out is raising money towards ending Homelessness . Donations can be made via the event website or contributing to the fundraising campaigns of individuals taking part. If anyone wishes to donate via Bishop Mark’s fundraising then they can do so here .

Activism Against Gender Based Violence

The period from 25 November to 10 December 2017 is being recognised internationally as the ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence’. During these two weeks, Christian Aid is co-ordinating a global social media campaign to end gender based violence with the aim of raising the profile of their work with faith leaders and people from faith communities in the UK, Burundi, Nigeria, and Latin America.

Faith leaders have a key role in shaping the way that gender is understood, experienced and lived out across the world. For this reason, from 25 November to 10 December, Christian Aid Scotland will share pledges from faith leaders and faith community activists from across Scotland. You can follow the campaign by visiting the Christian Aid twitter accounts @christianaidsco and @ca_global, and Christian Aid’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/ChristianAidScotland, where photographs and pledges will be shared using the hashtag #endGBV,

Notices

The Rev Michael Buchanan Hills retired as Rector of the Wigtownshire Group (All Saints, Challoch, St Ninian’s, Portpatrick and St John the Evangelist, Stranraer), on 31 October 2017.

The Rev David Cameron resigned as Rector at St John the Evangelist, Forfar on 1 October 2017.

The Rev David Cook retired as Rector at St Michael and All Angels, Helensburgh on 1 October 2017.

Mr Nigel Cook died on 10 November, aged 67. He served as Vestry Treasurer at Old St Paul’s, Edinburgh and also worked as Paying Officer, Coracle Trust. Nigel was the Diocesan Treasurer, Diocese of Edinburgh (since 2012) and he served as Member of the Institute Council (from 2015).

The Rev Eleanor Forgan died on 25 October 2017 aged 73. She served as Assistant Minister at St John the Evangelist, Alloa from 1989 to 1995 and then as Assistant Priest from 1995 to 2015.

The Rev Elaine Garman was appointed Mission Enabler in the Diocese of Argyll and The Isles on 1 November 2017.

The Rev Jonathan Livingstone was ordained Deacon by the Rt Rev Dr Gregor Duncan, Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway on 1 October 2017. He has been appointed Curate at St Mary the Virgin, Hamilton and St Andrew, Uddingston.

The Rev Nicola Moll retired as Rector at St Salvador, Edinburgh on 30 September 2017.

The Rev Patrick O’Maoil Mheana was appointed Rector at St Paul and St John the Evangelist, Airdrie on 31 October 2017.

The Rev Sarah Murray will be installed as Provost at St Andrew’s Cathedral, Inverness on 30 November 2017.

Mrs Alicia Rootes MBE relinquished her duties as Diocesan Secretary, Diocese of St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane with effect from 31st October 2017.

The Rev Canon Gianfranco Tellini died on 23 November, aged 81. Amongst other Offices, Canon Tellini was Vice- Principal of Edinburgh Theological College (1974-82) was instrumental in the production of the Scottish Episcopal Church 1982 Scottish Liturgy and author of ‘A Single Holy Living Sacrifice’ (the history and theology of the Christian Eucharist). Details of funeral arrangements are as yet unknown, but Canon Tellini is to be buried at St Mary’s Church, Dunblane.

Primus addresses the Anglican Communion Primates’ Meeting on Scottish Episcopal Church’s decision to change its Canon on Marriage

At the meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion held in October in Canterbury the Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church was asked to explain the process undertaken by the Scottish Episcopal Church in its move towards an adjustment of its Canon on Marriage to enable those who felt called to offer marriage to same gender couples the ability to do so.

He explained that the process had included much prayer, theological debate, open and, at times, very personal testimony and that opportunity had been provided for groups throughout the Church to discuss this matter and to pray about it; this included the voice of the youth in the Church, the sharing of powerful words and stories from elderly members and hearing representation from those who hold a traditional understanding of marriage, those who see marriage as including same gender couples and those who have encountered exclusion in declaring their love.

The Primus also explained that the nature of decision reached by the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church, is such as to allow those of different views to continue to “walk together” – recognising that there are different understandings of marriage and that no member of clergy is compelled to conduct any marriage against their conscience. Only those clergy who wish to solemnise marriages of same gender couples will be nominated to the civil authorities for authorisation to do so.

The Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church said“In June the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church voted to change its Canon on Marriage. This decision was ours to take as a self-governing province of the Anglican Communion.

“However, I recognise that this decision is one that has caused some hurt and anger in parts of the Anglican Communion and that the decision taken at the last Primates’ Meeting, which was to exclude our brothers and sisters in The Episcopal Church from debate on Doctrine and from Chairing Anglican Communion Committees, is a decision that now also pertains to us. We will continue to play our part in the Anglican Communion we helped to establish, and I will do all I can to rebuild relationships, but that will be done from the position our Church has now reached in accordance with its synodical processes and in the belief that Love means Love.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury held a Press Briefing during the Primates’ meeting and spoke about the sanctions that the Scottish Episcopal Church faced as a consequence of it’s decision to change its Canon on Marriage.  You can read details and view the video of the Press Briefing here 

The importance of Apology

In the week that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon apologised to gay men convicted of sexual offences that are no longer illegal, The Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness and Primus of The Scottish Episcopal Church joined Elizabeth Drummond-Young, tutor in Philosophy & Religion at Edinburgh University on BBC Radio Scotland’s ‘Sunday Morning with’ programme to discuss how important an apology is to the process of healing and reconciliation.

You can hear the discussion here (starts at 1:42:20)

News from The Scottish Episcopal Institute

Highlights from the November newsletter of the Scottish Episcopal Institute include details of the Initial Ministerial Education seminars that take place each Wednesday at the General Synod Office, list of ordinations and installations, information on Vocations Sunday (22 April 2018) and a reflection on the recent SEI Lecture by Professor David Jasper in Glasgow University on ‘The Role of the Arts in the Church of Tomorrow’ –  SEI November 2017 News-sheet

Historic bonds of communion shared in visit to SEC by the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church (TEC)

The Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church in the US (TEC) the Most Rev Michael Curry preached in a special service in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Aberdeen on Sunday 5 November. The Service was held to install the Rev Dr Canon Charles Robertson from TEC as an Honorary Canon of St Andrew’s Cathedral and marks the joint role that the Scottish and American Episcopal Churches had in the birth of the Anglican Communion through the consecration of Samuel Seabury, the first American Bishop, in Aberdeen in 1784.

During their visit to Aberdeen the Presiding Bishop and Canon Robertson took part in a symposium that explored the social history and common interests of the Scottish and American Episcopal Churches. Others taking part in this included the Rt Rev Dr Gregor Duncan, Bishop of Glasgow & Galloway and the Rev Dr Alison Peden, Director of Ordinands in the Scottish Episcopal Church. The Presiding Bishop also met with the College of Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church.

Following this, The Presiding Bishop and the Primus visited Scottish Parliament to meet with Scotland’s Deputy First Minister, John Swinney.

The Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church says “The Scottish Episcopal Church is proud of its role in the coming into being of what is now the world-wide Anglican Communion and I was delighted to welcome the Presiding Bishop in his first visit to Scotland and sharing our past, present and future bonds of communion and concern for the people we serve in our respective provinces of the Anglican Communion.”

Vacancies

Secretary and Administrator, General Synod Office

Vacancy: Director of Mixed Mode Training, Scottish Episcopal Institute

Vacancy: Provost of St John’s Cathedral, Oban

Vacancy: House for Duty Priest, Saint Ninian’s Glen Urquhart