| Scottish Episcopal Church | |
|---|---|
![]() | |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Anglican[a] |
| Scripture | Holy Bible |
| Theology | Anglican doctrine[b] |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Primus | Mark Strange |
| Associations | |
| Region | Scotland |
| Headquarters | Edinburgh,Scotland |
| Origin | Concordat of Leith 1572,Scottish Episcopalians Act 1711 |
| Branched from | Institutionally:Catholic Church andChurch of Scotland Theologically:Church of England |
| Congregations | 275[1] |
| Members | 22,990 (2024)[1] |
| Active clergy | 370 (2010)[2] |
| Official website | scotland |
| Slogan | "Evangelical Truth and Apostolic Order" |
TheScottish Episcopal Church (Scots:Scots Episcopal Kirk;[nb 1]Scottish Gaelic:Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba) is aChristian denomination in Scotland. Scotland's third largest church,[4] the Scottish Episcopal Church has 275 local congregations.[1] It is also anecclesiastical province of theAnglican Communion.
A continuation of the episcopalian "Church of Scotland" as intended byJames VI, and as it was fromthe Restoration ofCharles II to the re-establishment ofPresbyterianism in Scotland following theGlorious Revolution,[5] it recognises thearchbishop of Canterbury of theChurch of England as president of the AnglicanInstruments of Communion, but without jurisdiction in Scotlandper se. Additionally, while the British monarch holds the title ofSupreme Governor of the Church of England, in Scotland the monarch maintains private links to both the PresbyterianChurch of Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church, though in Scotland they attend and are a member (but not the leader) of the former.[6][7][8] The church is led by a Primus, who is elected from the seven Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church from among their number to serve as aprimus inter pares or ‘first among equals’ as the Senior Bishop. The currentprimus of the Scottish Episcopal Church isMark Strange, elected in 2017.[9]
In terms of official membership, Episcopalians constitute under 1 per cent of the population of Scotland, making them considerably smaller than the Church of Scotland or theCatholic Church in Scotland. In 2011, 0.9% of the population, or 103,017 people, identified as Anglicans or Episcopalians.[10] In the2022 census, 72,359 people identified as Anglicans or Episcopalians in Scotland.[11] The membership of the church in 2024 was 22,990, of which 16,124 were communicant members. The attendance at Sunday worship, as counted on Sunday next before Advent was 8,710.[1] This compares with the figures from six years previously, in 2017, where church membership had been 30,909, of whom 22,073 were communicant members, and there was a Sunday worship attendance of 12,149.[12]

The Scottish Episcopal Church was previously called theProtestant Episcopal Church in Scotland, simplified at the General Synod of 1838 toEpiscopal Church in Scotland.[13][14]
Although not incorporated until 1712, the Scottish Episcopal Church traces its origins including but extending beyond theReformation and sees itself in continuity with the church established byNinian,Columba,Kentigern, and other Celtic saints. The Church of Scotland and the Catholic church claim the same continuity.
The church is sometimespejoratively referred to in Scotland as the "English Kirk", but this can cause offence.[15][16] This is probably in part due to the fact that it is, nonetheless, a union of thenon-juring Episcopalians with the "qualified congregations" who worshipped according to the liturgy of the Church of England. It is also sometimes known as the "Laird's Kirk" because of its historical associations with the landed aristocracy of Scotland whose membership of the church exceeded that of other denominations. In the mid-1800s it was recorded that three quarters of the "landed proprietors of Scotland" were Episcopalians.[17][18]
The fifth-centurySaint Ninian conducted the first Christian mission to what is now southern Scotland.
In 563 AD,Saint Columba travelled to Scotland with twelve companions, where according to legend he first landed at the southern tip of theKintyre peninsula, nearSouthend. However, being still in sight of his native land he moved further north along the west coast of Scotland. He was granted land on the island ofIona off theIsle of Mull which became the centre of hisevangelising mission to thePicts. However, there is a sense in which he did not leave his native people, as the IrishGaels had been colonising the west coast of Scotland for some time.[19]
The Scottish Catholic Church would continue to grow in the centuries that followed, and in the 11th centurySaint Margaret of Scotland (Queen Consort ofMalcolm III of Scotland) strengthened the church's ties with theHoly See, as did successive monarchs such as Margaret's son,David, who invited several religious orders to establishmonasteries.
TheScottish Reformation was formalised in 1560, when the Church of Scotland broke with the Church of Rome during a process of Protestant reform led, among others, byJohn Knox. It reformed its doctrines and government, drawing on the principles ofJohn Calvin which Knox had been exposed to while living inSwitzerland. In 1560, the Scottish Parliament abolished papal jurisdiction[20] and approved Calvin's Confession of Faith, but did not accept many of the principles laid out in Knox'sFirst Book of Discipline, which argued, among other things, that all of the assets of the old church should pass to the new. The 1560 Reformation Settlement was not ratified by the crown for some years, and the question ofchurch government also remained largely unresolved. In 1572 the acts of 1560 were finally approved by the youngJames VI, but under pressure from many of the nobles the Concordat of Leith also allowed the crown to appoint bishops with the church's approval.[21] John Knox himself had no clear views on the office of bishop, preferring to see them renamed as "superintendents"; but in response to the new Concordat a Presbyterian party emerged headed byAndrew Melville, the author of theSecond Book of Discipline.
The Scottish Episcopal Church began as a distinct church in 1582, when theChurch of Scotland rejected episcopal government (by bishops) and adopted apresbyterian government by elders as well asreformed theology. Scottish monarchs made repeated efforts to introduce bishops and two ecclesiastical traditions competed.


In 1584,James VI of Scotland had theParliament of Scotland pass theBlack Acts, appointing two bishops and administering the Church of Scotland under direct royal control. This met vigorous opposition and he was forced to concede that the General Assembly should continue to run the church. Calvinists who disliked the more ceremonious style of liturgy were opposed by an Episcopalian faction. After ascending to the English throne in 1603 James stopped the General Assembly from meeting, increased the number of Scottish bishops and in 1618 held a General Assembly inPerth; this gathering adoptedFive Articles of Episcopalian practices. Many Scottish church leaders, and their congregations, responded to the Five Articles with boycotts and disdain.
James's sonCharles I was crowned inHolyrood Abbey,Edinburgh, in 1633 with fullAnglican rites. Subsequently, in 1637, Charles attempted to introduce aScottish version of theBook of Common Prayer, written by a group of Scottish prelates, most notably theArchbishop of St Andrews,John Spottiswoode, and theBishop of Ross,John Maxwell, and edited for printing by theArchbishop of Canterbury,William Laud; it was a combination of Knox'sBook of Common Order, which was in use before 1637, and English liturgy in hopes of further unifying the (Anglican) Church of England and the (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland. When the revisedBook of Common Prayer was used for the first time during worship on 23 July 1637 in St Giles' Edinburgh, itsparked a riot which was so representative of the strength of popular feeling in Scotland that it indirectly precipitated theBishops' Wars and this successful challenge of royal authority helped encourage many unhappy Irish Catholics into partaking in theIrish Rebellion of 1641 and the already increasingly uncooperativeEnglish Parliament into likewise declaring war on the king in theEnglish Civil War. As a result of the weakness of the king, PresbyterianCovenanters were able to become the de facto government in Scotland until disagreement between the Scottish and English Parliaments over how to run Britain in terms of both civil and religious governance after the king was defeated led to another war and Scotland's conquest by the Covenanters' erstwhile allies the English Parliament'sNew Model Army.
Following theRestoration of the monarch in 1660, the government ofCharles II reimposed episcopacy, and required all clergymen to swear allegiance to the king and bishops and renounce the Covenants, or be prevented from preaching in church. Up to a third, at least 27%, of the ministry refused, mostly in the south-west of Scotland, and numerous ministers also took to preaching in the open fields inconventicles across the south of Scotland, often attracting thousands of worshippers. This was forcibly repressed by the government, in actions later dubbedThe Killing Time. The conflict continued underKing James VII of Scotland (also James II of England) until theGlorious Revolution led to his removal from power.
With the 1689 refusal of the Scottish bishops to swear allegiance toWilliam of Orange whilst James VII lived and had not abdicated, the Presbyterian polity was finally re-established in the Church of Scotland. However, theConfession of Faith Ratification Act 1690 (April c. 7) allowed Episcopalian incumbents, upon taking theOath of Allegiance, to retain their benefices, though excluding them from any share in the government of the Church of Scotland without a further declaration ofPresbyterian principles. Many "non-jurors" also succeeded for a time in retaining the use of the parish churches.[22]
The excluded Scottish bishops were slow to organise the Episcopalian remnant under a jurisdiction independent of the state, regarding the then arrangements as provisional, and looking forward to a reconstituted national Episcopal Church under a sovereign they regarded as legitimate (seeJacobitism). A few prelates, known ascollege bishops, were consecrated without sees, to preserve the succession rather than to exercise a defined authority. At length the hopelessness of theStuart cause and the growth of congregations outside the establishment forced the bishops to dissociate canonical jurisdiction from royal prerogative and to reconstitute for themselves a territorial episcopate.[22]
The ScottishBook of Common Prayer came into general use at start of the reign ofWilliam andMary. The Scottish Communion Office, compiled by the non-jurors in accordance with primitive models, has had a varying co-ordinate authority, and the modifications of the English liturgy that would be adopted by the American Church were mainly determined by its influence.[22]
Among the clergy of post-Revolution days the most eminent are BishopJohn Sage, a well-known patristic scholar;Bishop Rattray, liturgiologist;John Skinner, of Longside, author ofTullochgorum;Bishop Gleig, editor of the 3rd edition of theEncyclopædia Britannica;Dean Ramsay, author ofReminiscences of Scottish Life and Character;Bishop A. P. Forbes;G. H. Forbes, liturgiologist; andBishop Charles Wordsworth.[22] BishopJames Sharp, a former moderate Covenanter andResolutioner, was appointedArchbishop of St Andrews andprimate of Scotland in 1661. He was reviled by Covenanters, and his murder in 1679 led to an escalation of hostilities.

In 1707 Scotland and England were merged into a singleKingdom of Great Britain. TheScottish Episcopalians Act 1711 protected the Episcopal Church, which marked its virtual incorporation as a distinct society. However, matters were still complicated by a considerable, though declining, number of Episcopalian incumbents holding parish churches. Moreover, theJacobitism of the non-jurors provoked a state policy of repression in 1715 and 1745, and fostered the growth of new Hanoverian congregations, using the English Prayer Book (served by clergy who had been ordained by a bishop but amenable to none), who qualified themselves under the 1711 act. This act was further modified in 1746 and 1748 to exclude clergy ordained in Scotland.[22]
These causes reduced the Episcopalians, who in 1689 had been a large section of the population, to a minority, save in a few corners of the west and north-east of Scotland. Their official recognition ofGeorge III, on the death ofCharles Edward Stuart in 1788, removed the chief bar to progress. In 1792 the penal laws were repealed, but clerical disabilities were only finally removed in 1864.[22] TheQualified Chapels were gradually absorbed in the early 19th century.
After the independence of theThirteen Colonies, the Scottish Episcopal Church also took the step of consecratingSamuel Seabury at Aberdeen in 1784. He became the first bishop of theAmerican Episcopal Church after being refused consecration by Church of England clergy. In this way, it can be said that the Episcopal Church in the United States owes as much of its origins to the Scottish Episcopal Church as to the Church of England.
The Theological College was founded in 1810, incorporated withTrinity College, Glenalmond, in 1848, and re-established at Edinburgh in 1876.[22] Theological training is now provided by the various dioceses and is supervised byScottish Episcopal Institute (formerly, the Theological Institute of the Scottish Episcopal Church).[23]
In 1900 the church had 356 congregations, with a total membership of 124,335 and 324 working clergy.[22] Membership did not grow in the following decades as it was believed it would.
In 1989 there were approximately 200 stipendiary and 80 non-stipendiary clergy. Membership was 65,000, with 31,000 communicants.[24]
In 1995, the Scottish Episcopal Church began working through a process known asMission 21.[25] Canon Alice Mann of the Alban Institute was invited to begin developing a missionary emphasis within the congregations of the church throughout Scotland. This led to the development of theMaking Your Church More Inviting programme which has now been completed by many congregations. In addition to working on making churches more inviting,Mission 21 emphasises reaching out to new populations which have previously not been contacted by the church. AsMission 21 has developed, changing patterns of ministry have become part of its remit.
In 1633 Charles I remodelledHolyrood Abbey as aChapel Royal, and held hiscoronation there with full Episcopalian rites. In this year he also founded theSee of Edinburgh and appointed William Forbes as first Bishop of Edinburgh in the following year. He also appointedJohn Guthrie, Bishop of Moray as the first, and last, EpiscopalianRoyal Almoner of Scotland. The Abbey was lost to its Protestant congregation as part of the events of theGlorious Revolution and eventually ruined. The Lord Bishop of Edinburgh and Anglican congregation were also evicted fromSt Giles' Cathedral following the Prayer Book riots in 1637. The office of Royal Almoner was made largely honorific then effectively secular, and by 1835 had merged into the responsibilities of theKing's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer. The current headquarters (the Scottish Episcopal Church General Synod Office) of the Scottish Episcopal Church is Forbes House, number 21 Grosvenor Crescent in theWest End of Edinburgh.[26][27][28]
The primus does not have any metropolitan jurisdiction. Metropolitan responsibilities are held by the diocesan bishops. The last head of the Scottish Episcopal Church to hold both primate and metropolitan titles was Arthur Rose, Archbishop of St Andrews, up to his death in 1704. The last bishop to exercise metropolitan authority was Alexander Rose, Bishop of Edinburgh, up to his death in 1720.
In terms of official membership, Episcopalians constitute well under 1 per cent of the population of Scotland, making them considerably smaller than the Church of Scotland. In 2012 the church had 310 parishes with an adult membership of 34,916 and communicant numbers some 10,000 fewer at 24,650.[2][29][30] As with other churches in Scotland, attendance has declined over recent years: the overall figures reflect rises in some dioceses and decline in others,[31] but amount to an overall fall in attendance of 15 per cent between 2007 and 2012.[30] The church's 2016 annual report noted a "continuing decline in overall numbers", with a reduction down to 303 congregations[32][33] and in almost identical language it was reported in 2018 that the church faced "continuing decline in members and attendance".[34] By the end of 2020 numbers had fallen further to 27,600 (membership) and 19,800 (communicants). No meaningful attendance figures could be produced due to the legal restrictions on church attendance introduced in response toCOVID-19.[35]By 2021 membership had fallen by a further 32% from 2012 levels, to just over 24000.[36]
Modelling suggests that if the decline in membership continues at its current rate, which it has done since the 1920s, the Scottish Episcopal Church will be extinct by around 2045. However, the denomination may survive beyond that date, due to a small number of more vibrant congregations.[37] In the 2024 statistics, 11 SEC congregations, out of 275, had over 100 people in regular attendance. Meanwhile, 49 congregations recorded 10 or fewer in attendance. The average congregation size was 35.[1]
At the close of 2024, the denomination had 275 congregations.[1] The statistics for the denomination, by their dioceses were as follows:
| Diocese | Number of Congregations | Membership | Communicant Numbers | Total Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen and Orkney | 36 | 2,206 | 1,577 | 752 |
| Argyll and The Isles | 22 | 843 | 608 | 325 |
| Brechin | 24 | 1,366 | 1,036 | 517 |
| Edinburgh | 53 | 8,459 | 5,599 | 3,452 |
| Glasgow and Galloway | 53 | 3,823 | 3,012 | 1,633 |
| Moray, Ross and Caithness | 40 | 2,977 | 1,929 | 644 |
| St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane | 47 | 3,316 | 2,363 | 1,387 |
| TOTAL | 275 | 22,990 | 16,124 | 8,710 |
In recent decades, the Scottish Episcopal Church has taken a left-of-centre stance on various political issues including economic justice and theordination of women.[citation needed] A church canon was altered to allowsame-sex marriage after it was formally approved by the General Synod in June 2017, making it the first major Christian church in the UK to allow same-sex marriages. The change was approved by six of the Church's seven dioceses, with only Aberdeen and Orkney voting against the proposal.[38]
Following the vote, a number of individual congregations began to leave the church, although they have been obliged to leave their buildings and funds behind them.[citation needed] In November 2017 a high-profile female supporter of same-sex marriage,Anne Dyer was appointed Bishop of the theologically traditionalist Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney by the other bishops, rather than elected as usual. (This was because the diocese had twice been unable to produce the minimum number of candidates for an election.) Although the appointment drew protests, which the primus attacked as "subversion",[39] Dyer was nevertheless consecrated in March 2018.[40] A number of clergy subsequently resigned, and in January 2019 theWesthill Community Church in Aberdeen voted to leave the SEC.[41]
TheScottish Episcopal Institute, a theological college for the whole of the Scottish Episcopal Church, was founded in 2015. It provides training for both lay ministers and ordained clergy.[42]

As an episcopal denomination, the church is governed by bishops, differentiating it from the nationalChurch of Scotland which ispresbyterian and governed by elders. However, unlike the Church of England, the bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church are elected in a procedure involving clergy and laity of the vacant diocese voting at an electoralsynod.
The church is composed of seven dioceses, each with its own bishop:
| Diocese | Present bishop |
|---|---|
| Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney | Anne Dyer (consecrated 1 March 2018) |
| Diocese of Argyll and The Isles | David Railton (consecrated 24 August 2024) |
| Diocese of Brechin | Andrew Swift (consecrated 25 August 2018) |
| Diocese of Edinburgh | John Armes (consecrated 12 May 2012) |
| Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway | Nicholas Bundock (consecrated 4 May 2025) |
| Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness | Mark Strange (consecrated 13 October 2007)[43] |
| Diocese of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane | Ian Paton (consecrated 20 October 2018) |
Allsees except Edinburgh (founded byCharles I) stem from sees of the Catholic Church in Scotland. The bishops of the Episcopal Church are direct successors of the prelates consecrated to Scottish sees at the Restoration.[22] The bishops are addressedRight Reverend.
The College of Bishops constitutes the episcopal synod, the supreme court of appeal.[22]
This synod elects from among its own members a presiding Bishop who has the title of Primus (the title originates from the Latin phrasePrimus inter pares – 'First among equals').
ThePrimus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the presidingbishop of the Scottish Episcopal Church, is elected by the episcopal synod from among its members. His duties are:
The incumbent isMark Strange, who was elected on 27 June 2017.
The Primus does not have anymetropolitan jurisdiction—the last to hold such jurisdiction was ArchbishopArthur Rose (of St Andrews) up to his death in 1704.[44] The Primus is addressedMost Reverend.
The church is governed by theGeneral Synod. This consists of the House of Bishops, the House of Clergy and the House of Laity. The General Synod makescanon law, administers finance and monitors the work of the boards and committees of the Church. Most decisions are arrived at by a simple majority of members of the General Synod voting together. More complex legislation, such as changes to the Code of Canons requires each of the Houses to agree and to vote in favour by a two-thirds majority.
Each diocese has its synod of the clergy and laity. Itsdean (similar to anarchdeacon in the Church of England) is appointed by the bishop, and, on the voidance of thesee, summons the diocesan synod, at the instance of the primus, to choose a bishop.[22] Each diocese has one or more (in the case of some united dioceses)cathedrals. The seniorpriest of a Scottish Episcopal cathedral is styled as provost (as the title of "dean" is given to the senior priest of the diocese as a whole, see above). The only exception in Scotland is theCathedral of the Isles on the island ofGreat Cumbrae which has been led by a member of the clergy styled asPrecentor. Diocesan deans and cathedral provosts are both addressed asVery Reverend.

The Scottish Episcopal Church is mainly in theHigh Church (orAnglo-Catholic) tradition.[45]
It embraces three orders of ministry: deacon, priest (referred to in theScottish Prayer Book as presbyter) and bishop. Increasingly, an emphasis is being placed on these orders to work collaboratively within the wider ministry of the whole people of God.[citation needed]
In addition to theScottish Prayer Book of 1929, the church has a number of otherliturgies available to it. In recent years, revised Funeral Rites have appeared, along with liturgies for Christian Initiation (e.g.Baptism andAffirmation) andMarriage. The modernEucharistic rite (Scottish Liturgy 1982) includes Eucharisticprayers for the various seasons in theLiturgical Year and is commonly known as "The Blue Book", a reference to the colour of its covers. A further Eucharistic prayer is provided in the Marriage liturgy.
This balance of scripture, tradition and reason is traced to the work ofRichard Hooker, a sixteenth-century apologist. In Hooker's model, scripture is the primary means of arriving at doctrine and things stated plainly in scripture are accepted as true. Issues that are ambiguous are determined by tradition, which is checked by reason.[46]
The Scottish Episcopal Church has been involved inScottish politics.
The church was one of the parties involved in theScottish Constitutional Convention, which laid the groundwork for the creation of the devolvedScottish Parliament in 1999. CanonKenyon Wright of the Episcopal Church chaired the convention (1989–1999).
The church actively supports the work of theScottish Churches Parliamentary Office in Edinburgh and theSociety, Religion and Technology Project.
All orders of ministry are open to both male and female candidates. On 9 November 2017, the first woman,Anne Dyer, was elected bishop in the Episcopal Church in Scotland. She was consecrated as Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney in March 2018.[40]
In the area of human sexuality, a debate continued for many years as to the propriety of fully permitting the presence of non-celibate lesbian and gay church members (there never having been a prohibition on membership or ordination of celibate homosexuals). In 2000, a former primate called for the church to bless same-sex couples.[47] Clergy became able to enter into a same-sexcivil partnership in 2005, and the church does not require sexual abstinence of such civil unions.[48] Since 2008,St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow has offered blessings for civil partnerships.[49] In 2015 the General Synod passed a vote which led to the first stage of approval formal blessings ofsame-sex marriage.[50] A number of congregations have hosted the blessings of same-sex couples including St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow andSt Paul's Cathedral, Dundee.[51]
In 2016, the General Synod voted in favour of changing the canon of marriage to include same-sex couples.[52] The change was formally approved by the church in June 2017.[53] As a result, at the Anglican Communionprimates' meeting in October 2017 the Scottish Episcopal Church was suspended for three years from communion "decision making on any issues of doctrine or polity", a mirror of the sanction applied to the U.S.Episcopal Church in 2016 for the same reason.[54]
Like many other Anglican churches, the Scottish Episcopal Church has entered intofull communion with theOld Catholics of theUnion of Utrecht. The Scottish Episcopal Church is also a member of thePorvoo Communion and is a member of several ecumenical bodies, includingAction of Churches Together in Scotland and theWorld Council of Churches.
In December 2009, there were reports that certainHigh Church traditionalists within the Scottish Episcopal Church were in favour of joining theRoman Catholic Church.[55]
In September 2025, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Catholic Church in Scotland signed the St Ninian Declaration, an historic declaration of friendship between the two churches, during a service of evensong atSt Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh (Episcopal).[56]
Conservative members have organised in the Scottish Anglican Network and are associated with theGlobal Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON). The Scottish Anglican Network announced on 8 June 2017, the same day that the SEC voted to approve same-sex marriage, that they would be in "impaired communion" with the denomination, due to this decision.[57] The General Synod of theAnglican Church of Australia passed a motion on 7 September 2017, condemning SEC's decision to approve same-sex marriage as "contrary to the doctrine of our church and the teaching of Christ", and declaring itself in "impaired communion" with the province. It also expressed their "support for those Anglicans who have left or will need to leave the Scottish Episcopal Church because of its redefinition of marriage and those who struggle and remain", and presented their prayers for the return of SEC "to the doctrine of Christ in this matter and that impaired relationships will be restored."[58] TheGlobal South Primates expressed their support for the Scottish Anglican Network on 9 September 2017.[59]
Nine churches have left the Primates since 2011, largely over the issue of the approval of same-sex marriage within the denomination. Five joined Presbyterian churches,[citation needed] and four joined GAFCON through theAnglican Church in North America, namely:
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