a little Scottish Episcopal history

David McCarthy has been quoted as saying:

“We see ourselves as being in the long-standing tradition of Scottish Episcopalianism…”

Today’s Glasgow Herald has this letter to the editor hidden away (see next page link at the bottom, go to page 3):

The congregation of St Silas Church, Glasgow, are in dispute with their Scottish Episcopal Bishops. It would appear history repeats itself. St Silas was opened in November, 1864, by a group of dissenters: Mr George Burns, Mr William Frederick Burnley and Sir Archibald Campbell – ”all being men of peace, though prepared, at considerable self-sacrifice, to contend for the maintenance of the Protestant and Evangelical principles of the Church of England, felt it better to set aside their interest in St Jude’s and built St Silas Church”.

At that time the bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church were intent on changing the protestant nature of the 36 39 articles of religion of the Church of England, to embrace Tractarianism and the Oxford Anglo-Catholic movement.

St Silas was readmitted to the fold under the concordat of 1906. In 1987, St Silas became a private chapel within the Scottish Episcopal Church.

John McPhail, 23 Lochlibo Crescent, Barrhead.

You can read about the history of the English Episcopal Church in Scotland in Gavin White’s book The Scottish Episcopal Church, A New History.

By the way, as the link is currently broken on the official SEC site, here is the correct URL for the 24 Feb news item on that site: The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Most Rev Bruce Cameron, shares his initial reflection on the meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion.