New Bishop for Moray, Ross and Caithness

The Scottish Episcopal Church has announced that the Rev Canon Mark Strange has been elected as the new Bishop for the Diocese of Moray, Ross & Caithness.

Mark (aged 46) is presently Rector of Holy Trinity Church, Elgin, Priest in Charge of St Margaret's, Lossiemouth; St Michael's, Dufftown and St Margaret's, Aberlour, Canon of St Andrew's Cathedral, Inverness and Synod Clerk of the Diocese. He has lived and worked in Elgin for 10 years.

On hearing the news of his election, Mark said: "I am so excited by this opportunity to work alongside the people of the Highlands and Moray. It is also a wonderful feeling to know that those I have lived and worked amongst are ready to face with me the challenges of mission and ministry in our communities."

The election of the new Bishop was carried out by the Electoral Synod (representatives of clergy and lay church members from the Diocese of Moray, Ross & Caithness), which was chaired by the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Most Rev Dr Idris Jones, who said: "The election of Mark will bring a sense of excitement throughout the Diocese and the Province. There now rests upon Mark a great expectation, and he will need the prayers and support of his people as he leads the Diocese forward. I welcome him to the College of Bishops."

Mark is married to Jane. They have three children, Aidan, Beth and Mara. His interests include a love of the outdoors, hill-walking, camping, Scottish history and sharing hospitality with friends and family.

The service of consecration and installation of the new Bishop will take place in October in St Andrew's Cathedral, Inverness. Further details of this service will be available at a later date.

Editor's footnote:
The Scottish Episcopal Church is - in effect - the Scottish equivalent of the Church of England; and is part of the worldwide Anglican communion.

The Very Rev Dr Robert (Bob) Gillies has been elected as the new Bishop for the Diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney; and is due to be installed into his new responsibilities in St. Andrew's Cathedral, Aberdeen in September this year.

Feedback:

	Rev Canon Arthur Sinclair (Guest)	15/06/2007 14:31
Your comment that the Scottish Episcopal Church is "in effect the equivalent of the Church of England" is historically inaccurate. The Scottish Episcopal Church existed separate and apart from the Church of England. And history tells us that by the disestablishing of the Episcopal Church as the Church in Scotland, and the implimentation of Penal Laws against Episcopal worship in Scotland, by the titular head of the Church of England, that 'equivalent' almost destroyed the Episcopal Church. Yes, it is true that we are an independent part of the Anglican Communion, as are all the component part that make up the communion. But our part is a very special - we are, along with the Episcopal Church of the USA, c0-founders of that Communion (by virtue of the fact that we consecretated Samuel Seabury as the first bishop of the church in the USA. there is no way that the head of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has any voice or authority within the Scottish Episcopal Church, except, as the head of the Anglican Communion and, even then, each Province of the Communion is independent and free to makes its own decision within its own Synod. But it has to be said that the diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness does welcome the election of Mark Strange as its next bishop.
	Editor	15/06/2007 18:35
Without getting into semantics regarding the word "equivalent", I trust that the comparison is one that those who find the variety of ecclesiastical forms a bit of a mystery will understand. And the (intentionally-brief) footnote was inserted in a spirit of "trying to be helpful".