Our Overseas Links
The Diocese has two formal Overseas Links: Diocese of Connecticut and Diocese of Mthatha.
The Diocese of Connecticut
This link is of enormous significance not just for the Aberdeen and Connecticut sees but for the whole wide-world Anglican Communion. Following the American Revolution, the Church of England was unwilling to ordain a bishop from the Anglican churches of the new USA. As a result, Samuel Seabury was ordained bishop by Bishop Skinner in Aberdeen in November 1784. Thus, the apostolic succession was maintained in the USA and the precedent was set for Anglican churches throughout the world to elect bishops who could be properly ordained.
The Aberdeen-Connecticut link itself has been maintained and has been reinforced by mutual visits at various levels and by the practice of each Church appointing an honorary canon from the other.
Diocese of Mthatha
Originally established in 1872 as the Diocese of St John’s, it seems that it’s links with the Scottish Episcopal Church were established in the early twentieth century. In recent years there have been a number of reciprocal visits by individuals and Church groups. Mrs Roella Wilson from Orkney helped Mthatha to develop its IT systems while in 2016 Bishop Sitembele Mzamane visited Aberdeen and attended a meeting of the Overseas Task Group while some of the Mthatha Cathedral’s choristers sang in some of Aberdeen’s churches.
Congregational Links
Some of our churches have their own links and many support projects around the world. For more information on these links please contact the Diocesan Office.
People Stories – The Diocese oF Aberdeen and Orkney
Bishop Samuel Seabury
Samuel Seabury (1729 – 1796) was born in Connecticut, and though he was intended for the church he studied medicine for a time at Edinburgh in order to be able to help his parishioners practically as well as spiritually. He came from a slave-owning family and continued to own slaves throughout his life. During the American Revolution he was on the side of the Loyalists, and had for some time to take refuge in New York. He was selected by his fellow clergy in Connecticut to be bishop there in 1783 (so that clergy could be ordained without having to go to Britain), and travelled to England to ask for consecration. However, as a citizen of the new America he could not swear the oath of allegiance to King George III, which was required in the Anglican Church. He therefore travelled to Scotland and was consecrated in Aberdeen in November 1784, by Bishops Robert Kilgour of Aberdeen, John Skinner, coadjutant of Aberdeen, and Arthur Petrie of Moray.
He returned to America, taking with him much inspiration in the form of various tracts and copies of the Scottish Prayer Book, still the basis for the Prayer Book used in the Episcopal Church in America today.