Scottish Episcopal Church | |
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Logo of the Scottish Episcopal Church
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Primate |
David Chillingworth, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane, as the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church |
Polity | Episcopal |
Headquarters | General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church, 21 Grosvenor Crescent, Edinburgh (Scotland) EH12 5EE |
Territory | Scotland |
Members |
54,000 registered, 90,000 adherents in province |
Website | scotland.anglican.org |
54,000 registered,
The Scottish Episcopal Church (Scottish Gaelic: Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba) is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 18th century, it has held an identity distinct from the (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland.
A continuation of the Church of Scotland as it was intended by James VI of Scotland and as it was for the approximately 30-year-period from the Restoration of Charles II to the re-establishment of Presbyterianism in Scotland following the Glorious Revolution, the Episcopal Church of Scotland is now a member of the Anglican Communion and recognises the position of the Archbishop of Canterbury as president of the Anglican Instruments of Communion but without jurisdiction in Scotland. This close but ambivalent relationship consisting of a partial recognition of the authority of the Church of England but a concurrent claim of independence results from the unique history of the Scottish Episcopal Church.
The current Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church is the Most Reverend David Chillingworth. According to the Mission Atlas Project, 85,000 affiliates identify with the Scottish Episcopal Church. The Scottish Episcopal Church is the denomination for 350 congregations. Although the 2011 Census did not include the church by itself, over 90,000 residents of Scotland identified as Episcopalian or another denomination of the Anglican Communion. Scotland's third largest church is the Scottish Episcopal Church.