The primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, styled "The Most Reverend the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church", is the presiding bishop of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The current Primus is the Most Revd. Mark Strange who became primus on 27 June 2017.
The word literally means "first" in Latin and is cognate to the related episcopal title Primate.
Roles
The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church has the following tasks:
- to preside at all provincial liturgical functions
- to preside at all meetings of the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church
- to preside at all meetings of the Episcopal Synod
- to declare and carry out the resolutions of the General Synod, the Episcopal Synod and the College of Bishops
- to represent the Scottish Episcopal Church in its relation to all other churches of the Anglican Communion and other communions
- to perform the functions and duties of primus as specified in the canons of the Scottish Episcopal Church
- to correspond on behalf of the Scottish Episcopal Church with primates, metropolitans and the secretary general of the Anglican Consultative Council.
History
The primus does not have any metropolitan jurisdiction. Metropolitan responsibilities are held by the diocesan bishops. The last head of the Scottish Episcopal Church to hold both primate and metropolitan titles was Arthur Rose, Archbishop of St Andrews, up to his death in 1704. The last bishop to exercise metropolitan authority was Alexander Rose, Bishop of Edinburgh, up to his death in 1720.
Bishops elected as primus
Holders of the role since the creation of the post in the early 18th century.
{| class="wikitable" style="width:95%;" border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! colspan="4" style="background-color: #7F1734; color: white;" | Primuses of the Scottish Episcopal Church
|-
! style="background-color: #D4B1BB; width: 10%;" | From
! style="background-color: #D4B1BB; width: 10%;" | Until
! style="background-color: #D4B1BB; width: 33%;" | Incumbent
! style="background-color: #D4B1BB; width: 42%;" | Notes
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1720
| style="text-align: center;" | 1727
| 60px John Fullarton
| Bishop of Edinburgh, 1720–1727.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | May 1727
| style="text-align: center;" | Oct 1727
| 60px Arthur Millar
| Bishop of Edinburgh, May–Oct 1727.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1727
| style="text-align: center;" | 1731
| 60px Andrew Lumsden
| Bishop of Edinburgh, 1727–1733.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1731
| style="text-align: center;" | 1738
| 60px David Freebairn
| Bishop of Galloway, 1731–1733; Bishop of Edinburgh, 1733–1739.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1738
| style="text-align: center;" | 1743
| 60px Thomas Rattray
| Bishop of Dunkeld, 1727–1743.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1743
| style="text-align: center;" | 1757
| 60px Robert Keith
| Bishop of Caithness, Orkney and The Isles, 1731–1757.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1757
| style="text-align: center;" | 1761
| 60px Robert White
| Bishop of Fife, 1743–1761.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1762
| style="text-align: center;" | 1782
| 60px William Falconer
| Bishop of Moray, 1742–1778; Bishop of Edinburgh, 1776–1784.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1782
| style="text-align: center;" | 1788
| 60px Robert Kilgour
| Bishop of Aberdeen, 1768–1786.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1788
| style="text-align: center;" | 1816
| 60px John Skinner
| Bishop of Aberdeen, 1786–1816.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1816
| style="text-align: center;" | 1837
| 60px George Gleig
| Bishop of Brechin, 1810–1840.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1837
| style="text-align: center;" | 1841
| 60px James Walker
| Bishop of Edinburgh, 1830–1841.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1841
| style="text-align: center;" | 1857
| 60px William Skinner
| Bishop of Aberdeen, 1816–1857.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1857
| style="text-align: center;" | 1862
| 60px Charles Terrot
| Bishop of Edinburgh, 1841–1872.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1862
| style="text-align: center;" | 1886
| 60px Robert Eden
| Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness, 1851–1886.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1886
| style="text-align: center;" | 1901
| 60px Hugh Jermyn
| Bishop of Brechin, 1875–1903.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1901
| style="text-align: center;" | 1904
| 60px James Kelly
| Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness, 1886–1904.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1904
| style="text-align: center;" | 1907
| 60px George Wilkinson
| Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane, 1893–1907.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1908
| style="text-align: center;" | 1934
| 60px Walter Robberds
| Bishop of Brechin, 1904–1934.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1935
| style="text-align: center;" | 1943
| 60px Arthur Maclean
| Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness, 1904–1943.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1943
| style="text-align: center;" | 1946
| 60px Logie Danson
| Bishop of Edinburgh, 1939–1946.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1946
| style="text-align: center;" | 1952
| 60px John How
| Bishop of Glasgow & Galloway, 1938–1952.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1952
| style="text-align: center;" | 1962
| 60px Thomas Hannay
| Bishop of Argyll & The Isles, 1942–1962.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1962
| style="text-align: center;" | 1973
| 60px Francis Moncreiff
| Bishop of Glasgow & Galloway, 1952–1973.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1974
| style="text-align: center;" | 1977
| 60px Richard Wimbush
| Bishop of Argyll & The Isles, 1963–1977.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1977
| style="text-align: center;" | 1985
| 60px Alastair Haggart
| Bishop of Edinburgh, 1975–1985.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1985
| style="text-align: center;" | 1990
| 60px Ted Luscombe
| Bishop of Brechin, 1975–1990.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1990
| style="text-align: center;" | 1992
| 60px George Henderson
| Bishop of Argyll & The Isles, 1977–1992.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 1992
| style="text-align: center;" | 2000
| 60px Richard Holloway
| Bishop of Edinburgh, 1986–2000.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 2000
| style="text-align: center;" | 2006
| 60px Bruce Cameron
| Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney, 1992–2006.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 2006
| style="text-align: center;" | 2009
| 60px Idris Jones
| Bishop of Glasgow & Galloway, 1998–2009.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: #F7F0F2;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 2009
| style="text-align: center;" | 2016
| 60px David Chillingworth
| Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane, 2004–2016.
|- valign="top" style="background-color: white;"
| style="text-align: center;" | 2017
| style="text-align: center;" | present
| 60px Mark Strange
| Bishop of Moray, Ross, & Caithness, 2007–present
|}
See also
- Religion in the United Kingdom