Anglican Communion News Service

by Matthew Davies

The Anglican Communion is often described as a worldwide family of churches owing its origins to the Church of England; but for many Scottish Episcopalians the story of the genesis of the Communion is distinctively different.

In 1784, Samuel Seabury, elected to be Bishop of Connecticut, USA, travelled to Scotland to be consecrated, as England gave a clear “no” to such action from the new world. His consecration took place in Aberdeen on 14 November 1784.

The Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church asked "that Bishop Seabury would endeavour all he can" to make the Scottish form of the Communion liturgy the norm in the United States. To this Bishop Seabury agreed and the birth of the Anglican Communion ensued, with a Scottish tone to this very day.

On 14 November 2003 - the 219th anniversary of the consecration of Samuel Seabury - the present Bishop of Aberdeen and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Most Reverend Bruce Cameron, visited Peterhead and laid a wreath on the grave of Bishop Kilgour, Bishop of Aberdeen and Primus at the time when Samuel Seabury was consecrated.

The Dean of Aberdeen, the Very Reverend Gerald Stranraer-Mull, who is also priest in Peterhead, Ellon and Cruden Bay, explained, "The consecration of Bishop Seabury in Aberdeen by three Scottish Bishops was the beginning of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The chief consecrating Bishop was the Primus, Bishop Robert Kilgour, and this year's service, for the first time, honours him.”

During a Eucharist, the Dean read a message of greeting from the Rt Revd Jim Curry, Suffragan Bishop of the Diocese of Connecticut, and the prayers of the people were led by Bishop Kilgour’s name-sake, Provost Richard Kilgour of Saint Andrew’s Cathedral, Aberdeen.

At a reception following the Eucharist the Primus launched his Lent Appeal for 2004 which seeks to raise £10,000 to fund a priest’s house at Misty Mount in Aberdeen’s companion diocese of Saint John’s, South Africa.