During a recent holiday, Diocesan Registrar Andrew Metcalfe checked in with one of our companion Dioceses in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Andrew reports:

"It was great to be back in Edinburgh and this time to connect a little with our companion Diocese there. On Friday 21 June I spent some time visiting the Diocesan Office, which is in the basement of the building which houses the Scottish Episcopal Church General Synod offices. I was meant to be touching base with my equivalent here (Simon Filsell), but Simon was unexpectedly away when I visited the office (we consequently caught up at Edinburgh airport before flying to Cardiff), so time was spent with his admin assistant, Ceri Ashton, who also took me "upstairs" to say hello to some staff members who were working there.

"We attended part of a Saturday night evensong on the 22nd at St Mary's Cathedral (where the St Mary's choir was joined by the choir of Durham Cathedral... including Simon Filsell as one of the singers) and I attended morning worship on 23 June at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Murrayfield: the Rector Canon Dean Fostekew and his spouse William generously gave us lodgings during our Edinburgh stay."

Impressions

There are a lot of good things going on in the Diocese of Edinburgh and in the wider Scottish Episcopal church, including a real commitment to reducing their carbon footprint and offering places of space and faith based hospitality in their communities.

The Scottish Episcopal church is small compared to the Church of Scotland... but overall is less impacted (in Edinburgh at least) by the steep decline in attendance that the Kirk has experienced in recent years, and especially after the pandemic.

For them (as well as us), it is still a challenge to continue to offer unique spaces and welcoming faith communities as many congregations continue to get older. Still, there is something refreshing about being smaller as no-one is ever taken for granted, and in a world where not many people experience situations where people know their name and really care about them, a smaller church offers a genuinely caring presence. Certainly, the congregation at Murrayfield demonstrated that care perfectly after the service. Dean Fostekew also spoke about good community connections they made after offering their grounds and outdoor space during the pandemic (many in Scottish cities do not have the luxury of private gardens that we have!).

Overall, it was a great opportunity to connect, the fly the flag for our Diocese... and be reminded of the ways we are linked into a much wider Anglican Communion, while meeting some who had last visited here in 2019 and others who were only known through regular zoom contact.

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Did you know: we have another companion Diocese, the Anglican Diocese of Eastern Zambia. Have a look at their Facebook page (they have recently been through a process of appointing a new Bishop).