The Diocesan Bishops of the Celtic Churches (Scotland, Ireland and Wales) together with their Primates are meeting in Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland from Monday 26th to Thursday 29th September.
The bishops of the celtic churches meet together every two years and each of the three provinces takes it in turns to host the meeting.
Throughout the four day meeting, the Bishops are being lead in bible study and discussions by the Rev Professor David Brown, Professor of Theology, Aesthetics and Culture at St Andrews University. The topics for discussion include faith and identity – an opportunity for each of the provinces to share their experiences in identity and political change as a result of devolution and explore the issues of sectarianism in Scotland and Ireland.
They are also exploring religion and culture in its contemporary context and the response to new spirituality and current competing sociological analyses of the state of religion in western society. The bishops will also discuss a wide range of issues common to each of their provinces and the issues affecting the wider Anglican Communion.
In hosting the meeting in Pitlochry, the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church the Most Rev David Chillingworth says “I am delighted to welcome the bishops of the Church of Ireland and the Church in Wales to Scotland. We are bound together by history, culture and ethos. We share common challenges and problems.
“We all have strong links across the Anglican Communion. I believe that our meeting will strengthen our friendship and that we shall find new ways of supporting and encouraging each other in mission. In particular I hope that we shall be able to find ways in which our friendships across the world can contribute to the life of the Anglican Communion”.