A bishop at the centre of a “bullying” scandal that threatens to tear Scotland’s Anglican church apart has failed to return to her duties as it emerged that a fresh formal complaint has been lodged against her
The Right Rev Anne Dyer was suspended as the bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney in 2022 after a number of clergy and church employees told The Timesshe had made their working lives intolerable.
Earlier this month the senior legal officer of the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) ruled it would “no longer be in the public interest” to pursue the allegations made against her, despite sufficient evidence existing to “provide a realistic prospect of conviction in respect of each allegation”.
Dyer, 67, insisted that “justice has been served” and announced she would celebrate and resume her duties after returning from a holiday in Italy.
But the Right Rev Ian Paton, bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane, said she was now unable to do so. “Bishop Anne is now back in office,” he said.
“Unfortunately, she is currently on sick leave and I will be temporarily assisting until she is well enough to return to work.” Four other bishops, including the Most Rev Mark Strange, the primus of the SEC, have publicly urged Dyer to step down.
Dyer secured the support of Paton, however, splitting the church’s College of Bishops into two factions.
An SEC spokesman confirmed a new Canon 54 complaint had been received that will automatically trigger further internal disciplinary proceedings.
Church rules state that it will be up to Strange to rule on whether Dyer will be removed from her duties while the allegations are examined.
They state: “It shall be competent for the primus to make an order at any time after an accusation is lodged suspending that bishop from office without loss of emoluments.”
Read it all in The Sunday Times
