Diocese of Argyll and The Isles (Episcopal)

The Diocese of Argyll and The Isles is in the west of Scotland, and is one of the seven dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church. It is perhaps the largest of the dioceses, but has the smallest number of church members. As a united diocese, Argyll and The Isles has two cathedrals: St John's in Oban and the Cathedral of The Isles in Millport, Isle of Cumbrae.

This article is about the diocese of the Scottish Episcopal Church. For the Catholic diocese, see Diocese of Argyll and the Isles (Catholic).

Diocese of Argyll and The Isles Dioecesis Ergadiensis et Insularum Sgìre Easbaig Earra-Ghàidheal is nan Eilean
Location
Country	Scotland
Ecclesiastical province	Scotland
Statistics
Congregations	32
Information
Denomination	Scottish Episcopal Church
Cathedral	St John's Cathedral, Oban and the Cathedral of The Isles
Current leadership
Bishop	Sede Vacante
Dean	vacant
Map
Map showing Argyll & the Isles Diocese within Scotland
Website
argyll.anglican.org

The Diocese of the Isles, by itself, was founded by Patrick in 900, and the Diocese of Argyll was founded by Bishop Harald in 1193. During the Scottish Reformation, most of the heritage and jurisdiction of the church was given to the Church of Scotland. However, the small Scottish Episcopal Church claims to have maintained the line of bishops of both dioceses through to the present day. In the seventeenth century, the Diocese of the Isles was united with the dioceses of Caithness and Orkney, and, in 1819, was separated from them to unite with the Diocese of Argyll. In 1878, the Roman Catholic Church created a Diocese of Argyll and the Isles. The diocese is responsible for the only two Episcopalian retreat houses in Scotland (Bishop's House Iona and the College of the Holy Spirit at the Cathedral of The Isles). The Right Reverend Martin Shaw retired in 2009. His successor, Kevin Pearson, was elected at an Episcopal Synod held at the Cathedral of The Isles on 6 October 2010,[1] and was consecrated and installed in Oban at Candlemas 2011 (4 February 2011).[2]

The Diocese of Argyll and The Isles is twinned with the Anglican Diocese of Zanzibar (Anglican Church of Tanzania) and the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware (Episcopal Church in the United States of America).

Area and population

The diocese covers the historic counties of Argyllshire (population 60,000) and Buteshire (population 12,500), the Hebridean parts of Inverness-shire and Ross and Cromarty (population 38,000), and the Lochaber area of Inverness-shire (population 16,500). This total population of approximately 127,000 makes it the smallest British Anglican diocese by population apart from the Diocese of Sodor and Man. It gives the diocese a ratio of one priest to every 18,100 inhabitants and one church to every 3,850 inhabitants.

Deans of the diocese

Secessions

On 24 November 2017 the congregation of Christ Church, Harris, a Scottish Episcopal church in the Western Isles, announced that they could no longer remain under the oversight of their local bishop, Kevin Pearson, Bishop of Argyll and the Isles, owing to his support of the SEC's approval of same-sex marriage. They would instead be receiving the episcopal ministry of Andy Lines, the Missionary Bishop to Europe of the Anglican Church in North America.[3][4] Daniel Davies, the priest-in-charge of Christ Church, resigned his SEC position on 22 January 2018.[5]

Churches

The diocese currently has 8 stipendiary clergy (including the Bishop who is also the Provost of Cumbrae Cathedral) and 32 active churches.

Benefice	Churches	Link	Founded (building)	Stipendiary clergy
Stornoway[6]	St Peter, Stornoway		C18th (1838)	P. Moger
Eoropaidh[7]	St Moluag, Eoropaidh		1912 (Medieval)
No benefice	St Brendan the Navigator, North Uist			-
	Holy Cross, North Uist			-
Portree[8]	St Columba, Portree		1884	R. Bungard
	St Michael & All Angels, Raasay
	St Mary, Kilmore, Sleat
Kinlochmoidart[9]	St Finan, Kinlochmoidart		1858	0
Strontian[10]	St Mary, Strontian		1875
Fort William	St Andrew, Fort William		1817 (1880)	A. Guinness
West Highland Region[11]	St Columba, Gruline		1873	A. Fairclough
	St John, Ballachulish		C18th (1842)
	St Adamnan, Duror		1846
	St Mary, Glencoe		C18th (1880)
	St Moluag, Kentallen		1868
	St Paul, Kinlochleven		1908 (1954)
	St Bride, Onich		1874
	Holy Cross, Portnacroish		1809
Lochbuie[12]	St Kilda, Lochbuie (Mull)		1876	-
Iona[13]	St Columba's Chapel, Bishop's House, Iona		1894	-
Argyll Cathedra[14][15]	Cathedral of St John the Divine, Oban		1846 (1910)	M. Campbell
	Kilbrandon Congregation (Seil)
Ardbrecknish[16]	St James, Ardbrecknish		1892
Islay[17]	St Columba, Bridgend (Islay)		1888	-
Campbeltown[18]	St Kiaran, Campbeltown		1848
Isle of Arran[19]	St Margaret of Scotland, Arran		1902	S. Mackenzie
Inveraray[20]	All Saints, Inveraray		C19th (1886)
Kilmartin[21]	St Columba, Kilmartin		1854
Lochgilphead[22]	Christ Church, Lochgilphead		1842 (1851)
Dunoon[23]	Holy Trinity, Dunoon		1846 (1850)	D. Railton
Rothesay[24]	St Paul, Rothesay		c. 1830 (1854)
Isles Cathedra[25]	Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Cumbrae		1849	K. Pearson

Former congregation

Benefice	Church	Founded (building)	Seceded from SEC
Harris, Isle of (Christ Church)[26]	Christ Church, Harris	1973 (1999)	2018

Closed churches in the diocese area

Church	Location	Building	Closed	Ref
St Columba, Tighnabruaich	Tighnabruaich		c. 2011	[27]
Holy Spirit, Ardchattan	Ardchattan	1886	2008	[28]

References

1. "New Bishop elected for Argyll and The Isles". Retrieved 9 October 2010.
2. "Diocesan Newsletter for Argyll and The Isles" (PDF).
3. "Christ Church, Harris Accepts Oversight From Bishop Andy Lines". scottishanglican.net. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
4. "Law and religion round-up – 26th November | Law & Religion UK". www.lawandreligionuk.com. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
5. "Notices - The Scottish Episcopal Church". The Scottish Episcopal Church. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
6. "The Benefice of Stornoway (St Peter)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
7. "The Benefice of Eoropaidh (St Moluag)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
8. "The Benefice of Portree (St Columba)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
9. "The Benefice of Kinlochmoidart (St Finian)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
10. "The Benefice of Strontian". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
11. "The Benefice of West Highland Region". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
12. "The Benefice of Lochbuie (St Kilda)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
13. "The Benefice of Iona (St Columba)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
14. "Argyll and the Isles Cathedral". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
15. "The Benefice of Oban (Cathedral of St John)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
16. "The Benefice of Ardbrecknish (St James)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
17. "The Benefice of Islay (St Columba)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
18. "The Benefice of Campbeltown (St Kiaran)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
19. "The Benefice of Arran, Isle Of". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
20. "The Benefice of Inveraray (All Saints)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
21. "The Benefice of Kilmartin (St Columba)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
22. "The Benefice of Lochgilphead (Christ Church)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
23. "The Benefice of Dunoon (Holy Trinity)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
24. "The Benefice of Rothesay (St Paul)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
25. "The Benefice of Cumbrae (Cathedral of the Isles and Collegiate Church of the Holy Spirit)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
26. "The Benefice of Harris, Isle of (Christ Church)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
27. "The Benefice of Tighnabruaich". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
28. "From the Bishop" (PDF). Argyll & The Isles (91). Spring 2009. p. 1.