The Seabury Connection

I got so caught up with horse obsequies yesterday that I forgot to mention Samuel Seabury – who died in 1796.  He was the first bishop of the Episcopal Church of the USA and was consecrated by the bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church.  I hadn’t been in Scotland for more than ten minutes before I began to realise that this is hugely important for the SEC – a brave decision in the face of English disapproval!  I think that even today it may be somewhere in the way in which the SEC reacts to ECUSA in the Windsor debate.  And, if Wikipedia is to be believed, one of the three consecrating bishops was Bishop Kilgour of Aberdeen – no relation to the present Provost Kilgour of Aberdeen, I think.

3 comments

  1. By way of a “second best” I was a ( very young)chorister in St Andrew’s Cathedral in Aberdeen, and was present when major American dignitaries attended the Consecration of the Seabury Chapel.
    I wonder how many people out there realise the American Episcopal Church were willing to fund an absolutely massive Cathedral in Aberdeen, on the site of what is now the Council Buildings. This was to be the largest, longest, widest and tallest of anything in this country.
    The depression, however, intervened, and the former St Andrew’s Chapel was elevated.

  2. Good to know you’ve picked up the Seabury connection. Here in deep Virginia two nights ago we marked the anniversary of his Consecration with a celebration of the 1982 Scottish Liturgy. The Americans loved it! And I sense they are pleased to know that we still love them when they sometimes feel under siege in the Communion.
    By the way how would Poppy cope with an invasion of the squirrel family at Episcopi Blogstead – there’s plenty of them here!!

    Bruce

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