First female bishop to be consecrated by Scottish Episcopal Church

Rev Canon Anne Dyer will become bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney in a service at St Andrew’s Cathedral, Aberdeen, that will also be livestreamed online.

Canon Dyer succeeds the Rt Rev Dr Robert Gillies, who retired as Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney in October 2016.

The church said 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”.

The consecration service will be attended by around 500 people including some from other faith communities across the UK and the Episcopal Church in the US.

The service will be led by the Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.

He said: “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.”

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The Scottish Episcopal Church is to consecrate its first ever female bishop on Thursday.