Bishop is suspended and then reinstated in one day
SCOTLAND’S first female bishop was suspended yesterday after allegations of bullying – only to be reinstated hours later.
The Right Rev Anne Dyer, 65, Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, was told she would have to step away from her role in the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) as she faced disciplinary proceedings.
The move came after the church said it had received two formal complaints against her alleging misconduct.
Then a second statement was posted on the church website, stating Bishop Dyer’s suspension had been lifted ‘with immediate effect’ after she lodged an appeal.
The development comes after a 122-page document that alleged sustained bullying – as well as concerns about the finances and governances of the diocese – was sent to the Scottish Charity Regulator.
A report last year by retired theologian Professor Iain Torrance, who conducted an independent review, concluded Bishop Dyer had made people feel ‘diminished and discouraged’ and recommended she ‘permanently’ step back from her duties.
Bishop Dyer claimed she had been the subject of ‘unsubstantiated and anonymous allegations in the national media’. One anonymous submission from the spouse of an alleged victim said: ‘[The SEC] seems intent to protect the hierarchy and its own reputation. I have witnessed my happy, confident and capable spouse be systematically destroyed.’
A statement published on the SEC website yesterday said: ‘The suspension of the Rt Rev Anne Dyer has been lifted with immediate effect after the Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney gave notice of an appeal against the decision to suspend her.’
Bishop Dyer was consecrated at St Andrew’s Cathedral, Aberdeen, in 2018. St Andrew’s was closed last year due to heating problems and worship was transferred to the city’s St Mary’s Church.