A House Divided?
A congregation in Aberdeen is preparing to
leave the Scottish Episcopal Church.
Members of Westhill Community Church
voted by 83 per cent to 13 per cent to leave
the Anglican Communion’s province in
Scotland following what they say is the
“continued liberal trajectory” of the Church.
The Rector of Westhill, Canon Ian
Ferguson, said: “We have been on a journey for many years – when I say
‘we’, I mean a group of evangelical Episcopal rectors – in talking to bishops
about the trajectory the Scottish Episcopal Church has set itself on going.
This culminated in a number of decisions that the SEC took which some of
us found that we could not accept.
Responding to the decision, the Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, Anne
Dyer, said: “the congregation of Westhill Community Church is a much loved
and valued part of our diocese, and I am deeply saddened that they have
indicated that they want to pursue potential separation from the Scottish
Episcopal Church.
The Primus of Scotland, Bishop Mark Strange, said: “I have been informed
that Westhill Community Church, Aberdeen has voted to prepare to leave
the Scottish Episcopal Church, and therefore the Anglican Communion. I
have received that news with great sadness and will pray that, painful
though this process will be for the Church and for the local Diocese and
wider community, we will all remember that we are all striving to serve as
disciples of Christ.
“Being a member of the Anglican Communion is important to the Scottish
Episcopal Church and we are working hard to strengthen our role in it. Our
bishops are preparing to attend the Lambeth Conference in 2020 and have
begun inviting bishops from around the Communion to join us in Scotland for
pre-conference hospitality.
“We will continue to pray for unity and understanding as we strive to further
the mission of God to our nation and around the world.”
Canon Ferguson said that the leadership team at Westhill “are going to take
our time to think about what lies next; but what we are strong on is that we
will remain Anglican.
“We have received some amazing support throughout the Anglican
Communion, in particular the Archbishops of Nigeria, Uganda, and Sydney
who have been very supportive and welcoming to us. . . For all of us
involved this has been a very painful time and a very difficult decision to
make but we have been put in that position by the decisions of the SEC.”
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