Anne_Dyer

Anne Dyer

Anne Dyer

British Anglican bishop, rector and academic administrator

Anne Catherine Dyer (born February 1957) is a British Anglican bishop, previously a rector and an academic administrator.

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In 2018, she became Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney in the Scottish Episcopal Church. Subject to a report process, with a recommendation that she step aside permanently, then mediation, she was briefly suspended from office on 10 August 2022 after allegations of misconduct were made against her. Her appeal against suspension failed, and she is, as of September 2023, going through a church grievance and disciplinary process.

Previously, from 2005 to 2011, she was the Warden of Cranmer Hall, Durham, a theological college of the Church of England. Thereafter, she was Rector of Holy Trinity Church, Haddington, East Lothian in the Diocese of Edinburgh (in the Scottish Episcopal Church) between 2011 and 2018.

Early life and education

Dyer was born in February 1957 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England.[1][2][3] She was educated at Bradford Girls' Grammar School, an all-girls private school.[3] She studied chemistry at St Anne's College, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree:[1][2] as per tradition, her BA was later promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Oxon) degree.[2] She then worked as a business analyst/systems analyst at Unilever.[1]

In 1984, Dyer entered Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, an Evangelical Anglican theological college, to train for ordained ministry.[2] During this time, she also studied theology.[1] She left theological college in 1987 to be ordained in the Church of England.[2] She continued her theological studies, and completed a Master of Theology (MTh) degree at King's College, London in 1989.[1][2]

Ordained ministry

Dyer was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1987 and as a priest in 1994.[2] All Dyer's parish ministry in the Church of England was spent in the Diocese of Rochester.[2] While she continued her studies, she held two non-stipendiary minister (NSM) appointments: at St John's Church, Eden Park (1987 to 1988), and at St George's Church, Beckenham (1988 to 1989).[2] From 1989 to 1994, she was parish deacon of Christ Church, Luton.[2] In 1993, she was appointed an associate adviser in evangelism for the diocese.[1] From 1994 to 1998, she was also an NSM of St Barnabas' Church, Istead Rise.[2] Then, from 1998 to 2004, she was the Ministry Development Officer for the Diocese of Rochester.[1][2] In 2000, she was appointed an Honorary Canon of Rochester Cathedral.[2]

In August 2004, Dyer was announced as the next Warden of Cranmer Hall, Durham.[1] Cranmer Hall is an evangelical Anglican theological college that forms part of St John's College, Durham University. In January 2005, she took up the appointment following her licensing by the Bishop of Durham (Tom Wright).[4] In 2008, she was appointed an honorary canon of Durham Cathedral.[2] She stepped down as warden in 2011, and was succeeded by Mark Tanner.[2][5]

In 2011, Dyer moved to the Scottish Episcopal Church, having been appointed rector of Holy Trinity Church, Haddington, East Lothian in the Diocese of Edinburgh.[2][6] Since 2015, she has also been a member of the council of the Scottish Episcopal Institute, the Scottish Episcopal Church's theological college.[7]

Episcopal Ministry

On 9 November 2017, Dyer was selected as the next Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, making her the first woman to have become a bishop in the Scottish Episcopal Church.[8][9] Her selection caused controversy due to her gender, support of same-sex marriage, and that she was not elected by the diocese itself (she was appointed by the house of Bishops after the diocese failed to choose its own bishop).[10][11][12] Two senior clergy in the diocese resigned their diocesan roles in protest, including Emsley Nimmo, the dean of the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney.[13] She was consecrated a bishop on 1 March 2018 during a service at St Andrew's Cathedral, Aberdeen.[14]

Allegations of bullying and investigation

In February 2021, Dyer was accused of bullying by a number of clergy, laypeople and church employees in The Times.[15] In March 2021, the College of Bishops commissioned Iain Torrance to lead an Independent Review into "difficulties" in the Diocese following a series of allegations regarding the Bishop.[16] In August 2021 the College of Bishops announced their intention to defer publication of the report and move to a second stage of reviewing.[17]

A few days later The Times reported Torrance's findings which had taken evidence from over 100 people.[18] His report,[19] which Dyer tried to have changed after completion,[20] found that there was a culture of bullying and "systematic dysfunction in the diocese", and that there were previous similar problems in Dyer's time at Durham. Professor Torrance stated that: "Without colluding in what I much fear is a repetition of the past, I cannot recommend the continuation of a tenure in which I fear that more people will be made to feel diminished and discouraged." He recommended that Dyer be immediately sent on sabbatical and that she should step down from her position permanently.[21]

However, the bishops decided, instead, to establish a mediation process.[22] Dyer has stated that she herself had been a victim of bullying, that the diocese was "not well", and that "The mediation process being offered to our diocese is our treatment".[23]

On 10 August 2022, Dyer was suspended as bishop after the SEC announced they had received two complaints of bullying.[24] An Episcopal Synod (meeting of bishops) met on 30 September, voting 3 to 2 to refuse the appeal and continue Dyer's suspension from office. The church stated that "The suspension does not constitute disciplinary action and does not imply any assumption that misconduct has been committed".[25]

On November 8, 2023, the church announced that the case had been referred to the church's Procurator to decide if the case should be referred to their Clergy Disciplinary Tribunal.[26] Subsequently, the Procurator resigned "to allow the appointment of a replacement who has no pre-existing connection of any nature to any of the parties or witnesses potentially involved, so as to avoid any suggestion that the process was not being conducted in an independent and impartial manner", to be replaced by a new procurator on January 23, 2024.[27]

From September 2022, John Armes was the acting Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, while Dyer remains suspended.[28] Dorsey McConnell, former Bishop of Pittsburgh, took on the role on 1 November 2023.[29]

Views

Dyer identifies with the Open Evangelical tradition of Anglicanism.[30]

In December 2014, Dyer signed an open letter to the bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church that was supportive of same-sex marriage: it concluded with a "wish to make clear our continuing commitment to affirm and support all people in our church, and to recognise and rejoice in all marriages, of whatever sexual orientation, as true signs of the love of God in Christ."[31] With the SEC voting to allow same-sex marriages, she conducted her first such marriage in October 2017.[32]

Personal life

Dyer is married to Roger. Together they had one child, a daughter,[1] who died, aged 30, in November 2021.[33]

References

  1. [1]
    "New Warden of Cranmer Hall". Durham University. 2 August 2004. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  2. [2]
    "Anne Catherine Dyer". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  3. [3]
    Drysdale, Neil (26 February 2018). "Canon Anne Dyer speaks about becoming Scotland's first female Bishop". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  4. [4]
    "New Warden of Cranmer Hall takes up her post". Durham University. 20 January 2005. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  5. [5]
    "College post for Rev Mark". Northern Echo. 19 October 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  6. [6]
    "Holy Trinity, Haddington". Diocese of Edinburgh. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  7. [7]
    "Institute Council". The Scottish Episcopal Church. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  8. [8]
    "First female Bishop in the Scottish Episcopal Church is elected the new Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney – The Scottish Episcopal Church". The Scottish Episcopal Church. 9 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  9. [9]
    "Church appoints first female bishop". BBC News. 9 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  10. [10]
    Farley, Harry (5 January 2018). "Scottish Episcopal Church clergy rebel after 'divisive' appointment of bishop to conservative diocese". Christian Today. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  11. [11]
    Farley, Harry (27 November 2017). "Splits emerge among Scottish Anglicans after gay marriage vote". Christian Today. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  12. [12]
    Davies, Madeleine (5 January 2018). "Aberdeen & Orkney letter questions new Bishop". Church Times. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  13. [13]
    "Resignations Follow Aberdeen & Orkney Appointment". Scottish Anglican. 25 November 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  14. [14]
    "Aberdeen & Orkney Bishop Elect prepares for consecration". The Scottish Episcopal Church. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  15. [15]
    Horne, Marc (25 February 2021). "Scotland's first female bishop Anne Dyer made working lives intolerable, say clergy". The Times. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  16. [16]
    "Professor Iain Torrance to lead Independent Review". Scottish Episcopal Church. 12 March 2021.
  17. [17]
    "Aberdeen & Orkney review to move to second stage". Scottish Episcopal Church. 29 August 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  18. [18]
    Horne, Marc (3 September 2021). "Anglicans in turmoil after report on 'bullying' calls for Bishop Anne Dyer's removal". The Times. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  19. [19]
    "Review of the Diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney, 1 August 2021" (PDF). Scottish Episcopal Church. 18 September 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2021.
  20. [20]
    "Bishop Anne Dyer accused of attempting to whitewash report into conduct". The Press and Journal, Aberdeen. 17 November 2021. Archived from the original on 17 November 2021.
  21. [21]
    "Review of the Diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney, 1 August 2021" (PDF). Scottish Episcopal Church. 18 September 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2021.
  22. [22]
    "Mediation Steering Group established for Diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney". The Scottish Episcopal Church. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  23. [23]
    Munro, Craig. "Aberdeen and Orkney bishop: Diocese is 'not well' and mediation is 'treatment'". Press and Journal. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  24. [24]
    "Scotland's first female bishop suspended amid bullying claims". BBC News. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  25. [25]
    "Episcopal Synod decides appeal". The Scottish Episcopal Church. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  26. [26]
    Walker, Donald (8 November 2023). "PPC arrives at decision on Canon 54 complaints". The Scottish Episcopal Church. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  27. [27]
    Walker, Donald (23 January 2024). "Church appoints new Procurator". The Scottish Episcopal Church. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  28. [28]
    "About the Bishop". The Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  29. [29]
    "The College of Bishops appoints Bishop Dorsey McConnell as new Acting Bishop in Aberdeen and Orkney". Scottish Episcopal Church. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  30. [30]
    Dyer, Anne (2004). "Almost Evangelical" (PDF). Anvil. 21 (2). Church Mission Society: 121–125. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  31. [31]
    "Dear Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church". Thurible.net. 18 December 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  32. [32]
    Farley, Harry (27 November 2017). "Splits emerge among Scottish Anglicans after gay marriage vote". Christian Today. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  33. [33]
    "College offers deep condolences to Bishop Anne". The Scottish Episcopal Church. 16 November 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
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