St John the Evangelist Church
Kessock-Tore, Arpafeelie
St John’s Scottish Episcopal Church, Arpafeelie - you can see it on the left hand side of the A9 as you drive up from North Kessock to Tore. It is on the breast of Arpafeelie hill.
The Episcopal Church is often referred to as the EnglishChurch; I hope to be able to show you that the reverse is the case, for in fact it was the original Church of Scotland.
There is only one English church in the Highlands and that is a Church of England chapel at RAF Kinloss.
St John’s is the oldest church in the diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness and in its present form, construction was started some time in 1810 and the building work and consecration was concluded by 1816.
This, however, is not the first Episcopal Church to bear this name in the district.
The ruins of the original St John’s church lie in the grounds of old Allangrange House. This church dates from about 1688, although there is strong evidence to suggest that it was started two centuries earlier when it was established by the Bishops of Ross or perhaps the Knights Templar, utilising an ancient Culdee settlement of the old CelticChurch.
This reference to the Knights Templar is not so fanciful; one has only to look at modern place names in the Black Isle such as Wester Templands to find this connection. The Knights Templar were given lands and properties throughout Scotland by King David. It must be said that King David did not do this out of the goodness of his heart, rather he was in hock up to his eyeballs to the Knights who acted as money lenders and proto banks.
Whether these Templars were the famed fighting Knights is a matter of academic dispute and conjecture. The feeling is that these Templars were more likely to be farmers and what passed for medieval accountants, but for certain there is no way to know, one way or the other.
The Culdees were a strict aesthetic monastic community who lived apart from the general community of the faithful and existed as hermits, but they were responsible for the organization and conduct of public worship in the Celtic church.
By the thirteenth century most of these Culdean monastic communities in Scotland had disappeared, thus freeing the original site for other religious uses.
The second incarnation of St John’s church can also still be seen today.
It was in later years used as the school house at Arpafeelie and once it was no longer required for that role it was subsequently sold as a dwelling house. Evidence of its Ecclesiastical origins can still been seen in the rose window in the gable of the house. In the horrors after the battle of Culloden the Rector of this church played a role in protecting his flock.
The Story goes that the rector had advance warning of Redcoats coming up from North Kessock. He summoned all his congregation and hid with them in the forest behind the church until the Redcoats who were pillaging, murdering and burning had gone.
This description of the Redcoats is not nationalistic hyperbolae on my part.
The wanton destruction of all things and persons Episcopal was ordered by the Duke of Cumberland because the Episcopal Church supported the Stuart cause, even to the extent that there was Episcopal priests in the Bonny Prince’s retinue. This affiliation to a royal house whose star had waned, is the root cause of all the ills that later befell the Episcopal Church, but more of this later.
It is important in understanding what follows, is to realise that The Episcopal Church has as its worship forms and beliefs what is essentially catholic in nature, but what is most important, is it is not Roman Catholicism. We are a Catholic Church, but without all the trappings so loved by the Church of Rome i.e. popes, cardinals etc. and all that flows from that structure.
Saint John’s church is different in its construction from most Episcopal churches in that it is an oblong box, just slightly longer than it is wide. The traditional Episcopal church is in the shape of a cross, with the head of the cross facing east. This style of building is clearly demonstrated by the ancient church at Killearnan.
The high altar in Arpafeelie also faces east as is the custom.
This altar is a gem of the woodcarver’s art and the texts on it are in Gaelic, because Gaelic, our native language was the principle tongue used in the church for worship. Records show that the two Gaelic services on a Sunday would attract over 400 worshipers. The track which now leads up to the church was the original road from Munlochy to Fettes (it is now bisected by the A9 highway).
On a Sunday from Allangrange estate to the church and beyond, the road would be lined with horses and carts.
The altar was commissioned from an Inverness firm and it was their award winning centre piece at an exhibition. So rare and beautiful is this altar that an attempt was made to steal it when the church was closed in the 1970’s.
Their plans were thwarted, however by Major Anderson ex. S.A.S. He lived at that time in the rectory as a grace and favour reward for service to the estate (The house was to return to the church after both he and Flo. May had passed on).
There is evidence on the walls of the church of various changes made during its construction; these early builders were not troubled by the dictatorship of the modern planning department.
There is a door arch on the west gable which was never completed and the stone tracery of the east window is only half filled with stained glass.
The bottom of the window and side lancets, it seems, were always bricked up.
Whilst the church is now full of pews and other Victorian, religious junk, in its earliest days there was no seating at all except for a few benches along the wall for those who were infirm or not fit to stand. (These benches were common in early Scottish churches and are the origins of the saying - he has gone to the wall)
The church and rectory were built at the same time, but the rectory in 1869 was extensively modified by a company in Inverness, specialising in church building. To have a company whose main occupation was building churches, was in Victorian times not unusual, because there was a ferment of religiosity during Victoria’s reign. One has only to look at church hymnals to see confirmation of this, every second hymn, it seems, emanates from that period, as do most of my favourites.
There is always a hankering after the way things were in the old days, if, like me, you have responsibility for maintaining these old buildings. It is not difficult to see where cost cutting shortcuts were made, leaving a legacy of gimcrack construction for future generations to deal with. The east window is one such area where shortcuts were made.
In the firing process used by stain glass companies of the period, non traditional chemicals were used to speed up throughput; this meant that, after about a hundred years or so, most of the fine detail is lost, eroded by sunlight.
This can be clearly seen in the photo, it is just possible to make out the face of Christ on the panel. This window is at the moment undergoing restoration to its original glory by a company from Glasgow.
In 1869 a building warrant was granted for alterations to the rectory. These modifications stemmed from the fact that the responsibilities of the Minister or Rector as we call him, had expanded to cover Muir of Ord and the district of Urray. A stable block and tack room complete with fireplace and chimney were built in the grounds and servant’s quarters built onto the house (the picture shows this change, but not the latter Victorian conservatory which was so rotten that it was demolished in 2002). The stable block and tack room have been converted, in the last two years, into the centre for the diocese of Moray Ross and Caithness. The servant’s quarters and conservatory were demolished and the house extended to become the Bishop’s residence.
St John’s Episcopal Church’s history is clear evidence of the religious turbulence which has gripped Scotland for most, if not all, of its Christian past.
Scotland is not unique in this regard; religion, kings, queens and prelates have been intertwined for most of our human history, usually with dire consequences for everyone, the common folk most usually coming off the worst. These religious conflicts go back into Neolithic times and all around us here in Northern Scotland, there are still structures to be seen, such as chambered cairns, standing stones, tumuli and stone carvings which are clear indications of a powerful religious life in these hills and glens. There is some very fine pagan carving incorporated into the walls of the steading of Cotterton Farm house.
But our interest is in the more recent past the conversion and spread of Christianity in these parts. In Scotland Christianity owes its spread to Saints from that great centre of early Christian faith and education, Ireland.
Ireland, in the earliest centuries, was an acknowledged powerhouse of the Christian faith. Its traditions were based on the belief structure of the Celtic church and not that of the church created by the Roman Empire.
Roman Catholicism did not exist until the Emperor Constantine decreed that Christianity was to be the state religion of the Roman Empire.
This stroke of good fortune for the Christian church is accredited to the Emperor having seen, in a dream, the Christian symbol called the Chi Rho and also hearing instructions in that self same dream, to carry this symbol into the pivotal battle of Milvian bridge. Constantine defeated his adversary Maxentius at the Battle of the MilvianBridge on October 28, 312, The Emporer achieved victory notwithstanding all the disadvantages he had to face, such as being severely outnumbered and late onto the battlefield.
He confessed that his victory came about through the intervention of God in the person of Christ Jesus.
It is interesting to note that Constantine himself did not become a Christian. He held onto his status as a living God and worshiped all his pagan gods as before. He only submitted to baptism and conversion on his deathbed.
Perhaps this is not surprising, given that he was not the nicest of persons; he killed his first wife by boiling her alive in her bath.
Maybe this is the origins of being “in hot water”.
Most of the missionary work in Scotland and Northumbria was carried out by Saints such as Ninian, Columba, Mungo and many others who are, to this day, venerated in churches dedicated to their memory. For example there is a Church of Scotland Mission hall at North Kessock. Kessock is an Anglicization of the name Kessog. Kessog was a missionary saint, a bishop operating in the Lowlands of Scotland in the sixth century.
He was, in fact, Scotland’s first patron Saint long before Saint Andrew. Kessog’s name was used as a battle cry by the Scots and his relics were brandished to Edwards’s army at Bannock burn. Given the successful outcome of that particular encounter, one wonders why he was supplanted by St. Andrew as patron saint. Kessog’s (Or Cessoc) principle area of operations was in and around Luss at Loch Lommond; this fact is being commemorated there this year, thus celebrating 1500 years of Christianity in that area.
If appealing to Saints or bits of saints, for intercession with the Divine is your thing, then he is to be found buried under a cairn of stones where he was martyred at Bandry, just south of Luss.
Ross-shire was also a centre of Christianity and a place of pilgrimage.
No Scots monarch worth his salt would fail to worship at the shrine of Saint Duthac in Tain. Saint Duthac (or Duthus or Duthak) (1000–1065) is the patron saint of Tain in Scotland. According to the Breviary of Aberdeen, Duthac was a native Scot. Tradition has it that Duthac was educated in Ireland (yet more evidence of that wonderful Diaspora from Ireland) and died in Tain. A chapel was built in his honour and a sanctuary established at Tain and was ministered by the Norbertine canons of Fearn Abbey.
A century later, this sanctuary was notably breached
by English supporters. they captured Robert the Bruce's wife and daughter who, at the time, were sheltering and claiming the ancient right of sanctuary in the chapel.
Edward, who was a supposedly devout Christian monarch, demonstrated his Christian love for one another by immuring The Bruce’s wife in a cage hanging on the walls of Berwick castle and Bruce’s daughter on the walls of Roxburg castle. These hapless victims had to endure their confinement in all weathers and seasons, it was said that the very clothes rotted from their bodies thus exposing their naked bodies to the vulgar gaze of the commonality.
The chapel was burnt down later in political violence between regional power groups, namely the Clan MacKay and the Clan Ross. The ruins of the chapel still exist as a centerpiece of a cemetery along the shores of the Dornoch Firth.
Saint Duthac was greatly venerated in Scotland before the (First) Reformation - Celtic to Catholic - and his memory is still preserved in place names, notably Kilduthie; Arduthie near Stonehaven and Kilduich on the shores of Loch Duich. Tain, where he died and was buried, had the Church built specially in his honour. His death is recorded in "The Annals of Ulster" for the year 1065. After many years his body was exhumed and found to be incorrupt His relics were translated to a more splendid shrine at St. Duthus Collegiate Church, built between 1370 and 1458. They disappeared in 1560 at the time of
the Reformation, probably tossed onto some midden or burnt like so many other relics at that time. Yet more evidence of the role of religion in political violence.
Lest I wander prematurely into the struggle for Scottish nationhood, let us return to this locality.
The religious centre at Allangrange was probably begun approximately two hundred years after Columba’s mission. Despite this passage of time and conversion process, there was still a very strong element of pagan worship in the local community, in fact there is evidence that pagan worship was still practised here in the 17th century.
There is a pagan legend associated with a basin stone at Arpafeelie.
A basin stone was used to collect cloud water, (rain to you and me), which was used in the ancient rites of some pagan worship or other. But the legend has it that if an animal was to drink from the stone, it was said without fail to sicken and die.
So powerful was this belief that when it was rediscovered some hundreds of years ago, it was upturned and buried (but not destroyed) so that it would cause no further evil.
A basin stone was uncovered during the recent conversion of the steading and stables of the church and the Bishop has had it set on edge and incorporated into the boundary wall, thus, in this position, it will not gather cloud water. This pagan co-existence with Christianity is not unusual, I have it on good authority from a Monk priest friend, who serves the church in Africa, that in countries such as Ghana the local population hedge their bets by supporting both Christian and Animist priests in their community, treating both with equal respect and turning to whomever they consider might best deliver the object of their particular prayers and wants.
It would be impossible to discuss the historical aspects of St John’s without looking at the history of the Christian faith itself, in the Kingdom of Scotland.
I have touched on some aspects of it already, but what I really want to explore is the reason for, and nature of Episcopalianism in Scotland.
Now, if you will forgive me and allow me a very, very short bit of preaching at this point, it is necessary to clearly state the premise upon which the whole edifice of church life is supposedly built.
The Christian religion is, we are told by Jesus Christ, one of tolerance, forbearance and love of ones’ fellow human beings. It can be truly stated that it is said to represent the true face of the divine.
Ministers and priests also tell us that God loves us no matter who or what we are, but in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus also said that I do not come to bring peace but a sword. This should not be taken as a clarion call to Christians to take up arms and resort to violence in pursuit of their faith.
It is, I believe, a foretelling by Christ of how things were to pan out after He left us. Given his wisdom, he could not have failed to see the frailty of human nature at work, even when he was alive there was certain jostling for power.
Christ did not have long to wait to see his prediction come to pass.
No sooner had he ascended into heaven when even his closest followers fell into disagreement over who was, or was not, entitled to call himself a follower.
Now project this state of affairs forward several hundred years and we have even greater and bloodier disputes.
These disagreements were enhanced by the church’s addiction to power and its control over those who wielded earthly power, this usually being the ruling monarch of the day who it has to be said was not averse to manipulating the church for his own ends as well. However, in
Scotland this state of affairs was slow to take hold, the influence of the Pope and his ministers was very limited and the Celtic church still held sway in the northern reaches of the British Isles for a long time.
In fact it was not until the council of Whitby in 664 that England was converted from the CelticChurch to the usages of the Church of Rome.
Those who refused to accept this ruling returned to Iona to continue in the old ways. Scotland, being Scotland, and England, being England, there would be a reluctance to fall in with either’s way of religion especially when the king or queen was involved.
This however is not the whole story and in Scotland there was an additional struggle between the Presbyterian and Episcopal Churches for supremacy.
This is a long and complicated chapter in our history and for a much fuller an interesting read I would commend the book “A Church for Scotland”, by the Very Reverend Gerald Stranraer Mull, a priest of this diocese.
To return to why the Episcopal Church became known as the EnglishChurch, as I have already said The Episcopal Church supported the Stuart cause both in the 1707 uprising and again though to a lesser extent, the 1745 rebellion.
After Culloden, the Stuarts’ cause was lost and the Hanoverian Forces ensured its total destruction, and to quote from a song by the Corries, a famous Folk duo of the 70’s and 80’s “They spared neither age, sex nor condition”.
The Episcopal Church fared just as badly, churches were burnt and, where this was not possible the troops made the congregations tear down the buildings with their bare hands. An even harsher penal law was introduced in 1746. Episcopal clergy were given the opportunity to recant their support for the Jacobites and to swear allegiance to King George, to pray for him by name and also register their Letters of Orders. If they did not, they were forbidden to minister to more than four people at any one time and frequently suffered imprisonment or banishment. Penalties for lay Episcopalians worshiping at Episcopal services were equally harsh; they could not hold any public office or were deprived of the right to vote and could not enter colleges or universities.
Many and varied were the schemes to circumvent the authorities, including ministers preaching from an open window in their homes, or having one service after another. It was not unusual for some priests to conduct up to 15 services on a Sunday.
Still, the Episcopal Bishops would not forswear their allegiance to the house of Stuart and many dioceses were left vacant rather than bow the knee to the house of Hanover. When this tactic became unworkable non ruling bishops were ordained. During this time of persecution the Scottish bishops consecrated Samuel Seabury as the first Bishop of North America.
Seabury was required to go to London for ordination, but he could not and would not stomach the oath of allegiance to King George, following the war of independence. He came to Scotland and was consecrated bishop in an upstairs room in a private house in Aberdeen on November 14th 1748. He was the first Anglican Bishop to serve outside the UK, thus Scotland was the birthplace of the world wide Anglican Communion.
The years of persecution had taken their toll and it was only in the north-east in Aberdeen-shire and Buchan, that any significant numbers of Episcopalians remained
At the revolution in 1689, there was a bishop in each diocese and 600 clergy ministering to two thirds of the population of Scotland. By 1792, there were only four bishops and forty priests ministering to just
5 % of the population. Gradually, after the lifting of the penal laws the church began to gain in strength but the hub was still in the north-east. However the assets of the church had long since passed into the hands of the Presbyterians and there was no possibility of reclaiming them.
As the church grew again there were not sufficient clergy to serve in the reawakened diocese and the church turned to that other Anglican church in these islands for priests, the church of England.
There was also, at this time, a general immigration into Scotland from that other country and, where else could these folks find a worship style and language they could understand and be familiar with, but in the newly awaked Episcopal Church.
If you think this is far fetched, especially the language part, - when the TV series Rab C Nesbit was transmitted in England, it carried full sub titles; nothing changes everything remains the same.
Whilst we are part of the world wide Anglican Communion, we share very little in common with the church of England. Our liturgy is uniquely our own as is the form of church governance. There are no Archbishops such as Rowan Williams, our church is ruled by a college of Bishops all of equal rank with the titular head of the church known as the Primus, ruling under a system known as Primus Inter Pares, first amongst equals.
However the greatest difference lies in the method whereby bishops are chosen to serve In England the Queen in concert with her government appoints all Bishops and Prelates. Here in Scotland we require those aspiring to the Episcopacy to stand for election.
The electoral process involves the laity and the Clergy, with the clergy taking heed but not instruction from their congregations.
So, when next you hear somebody talk about the EnglishChurch at Arpafeelie, then maybe you will be able to put them right.
I am proud to be a member of this church especially since its history is so intertwined with that of my own country.
In so many ways it is a mirror of the Scottish character, thrawn, never knowing when enough is enough, but still keeping on with eyes firmly fixed on the promises of another day.
On a somewhat romantic note, if ever you find the time, go up the track and just stand outside the church. Look to the North and away to the West and remember all our forebears who came to this place to put their trust in God. Oftimes when I am in the church on my own, more especially on a winter’s starry night, I can imagine that I hear the susurration of prayer emanating from the shades of worshipers long passed. This is a very special place, there is a warmth of spirit in the church. It seems as though those shades are still worshiping here and they are glad when somebody from the world of men and women joins with them in praise to God.
Robin MacDonald-Johnston, November 2010.
A feature of St John’s is its fine carved oak altar and reredos. Another feature of the altar is the Gaelic script on the retable proclaiming: “Emmanuel + Dia maille ruinne” (Emmanuel + God with us.) and at the base of the altar proclaiming: “Is mise aran na beatha” (I AM the Bread of Life). Another unusual feature is the fact the bell-rope for the church bell hangs outside the church. The Church was re-opened in 1974, having been closed for some years.
Charity Number: SC0040000
Kessock-Tore, Arpafeelie
St John’s Scottish Episcopal Church, Arpafeelie - you can see it on the left hand side of the A9 as you drive up from North Kessock to Tore. It is on the breast of Arpafeelie hill.
The Episcopal Church is often referred to as the EnglishChurch; I hope to be able to show you that the reverse is the case, for in fact it was the original Church of Scotland.
There is only one English church in the Highlands and that is a Church of England chapel at RAF Kinloss.
St John’s is the oldest church in the diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness and in its present form, construction was started some time in 1810 and the building work and consecration was concluded by 1816.
This, however, is not the first Episcopal Church to bear this name in the district.
The ruins of the original St John’s church lie in the grounds of old Allangrange House. This church dates from about 1688, although there is strong evidence to suggest that it was started two centuries earlier when it was established by the Bishops of Ross or perhaps the Knights Templar, utilising an ancient Culdee settlement of the old CelticChurch.
This reference to the Knights Templar is not so fanciful; one has only to look at modern place names in the Black Isle such as Wester Templands to find this connection. The Knights Templar were given lands and properties throughout Scotland by King David. It must be said that King David did not do this out of the goodness of his heart, rather he was in hock up to his eyeballs to the Knights who acted as money lenders and proto banks.
Whether these Templars were the famed fighting Knights is a matter of academic dispute and conjecture. The feeling is that these Templars were more likely to be farmers and what passed for medieval accountants, but for certain there is no way to know, one way or the other.
The Culdees were a strict aesthetic monastic community who lived apart from the general community of the faithful and existed as hermits, but they were responsible for the organization and conduct of public worship in the Celtic church.
By the thirteenth century most of these Culdean monastic communities in Scotland had disappeared, thus freeing the original site for other religious uses.
The second incarnation of St John’s church can also still be seen today.
It was in later years used as the school house at Arpafeelie and once it was no longer required for that role it was subsequently sold as a dwelling house. Evidence of its Ecclesiastical origins can still been seen in the rose window in the gable of the house. In the horrors after the battle of Culloden the Rector of this church played a role in protecting his flock.
The Story goes that the rector had advance warning of Redcoats coming up from North Kessock. He summoned all his congregation and hid with them in the forest behind the church until the Redcoats who were pillaging, murdering and burning had gone.
This description of the Redcoats is not nationalistic hyperbolae on my part.
The wanton destruction of all things and persons Episcopal was ordered by the Duke of Cumberland because the Episcopal Church supported the Stuart cause, even to the extent that there was Episcopal priests in the Bonny Prince’s retinue. This affiliation to a royal house whose star had waned, is the root cause of all the ills that later befell the Episcopal Church, but more of this later.
It is important in understanding what follows, is to realise that The Episcopal Church has as its worship forms and beliefs what is essentially catholic in nature, but what is most important, is it is not Roman Catholicism. We are a Catholic Church, but without all the trappings so loved by the Church of Rome i.e. popes, cardinals etc. and all that flows from that structure.
Saint John’s church is different in its construction from most Episcopal churches in that it is an oblong box, just slightly longer than it is wide. The traditional Episcopal church is in the shape of a cross, with the head of the cross facing east. This style of building is clearly demonstrated by the ancient church at Killearnan.
The high altar in Arpafeelie also faces east as is the custom.
This altar is a gem of the woodcarver’s art and the texts on it are in Gaelic, because Gaelic, our native language was the principle tongue used in the church for worship. Records show that the two Gaelic services on a Sunday would attract over 400 worshipers. The track which now leads up to the church was the original road from Munlochy to Fettes (it is now bisected by the A9 highway).
On a Sunday from Allangrange estate to the church and beyond, the road would be lined with horses and carts.
The altar was commissioned from an Inverness firm and it was their award winning centre piece at an exhibition. So rare and beautiful is this altar that an attempt was made to steal it when the church was closed in the 1970’s.
Their plans were thwarted, however by Major Anderson ex. S.A.S. He lived at that time in the rectory as a grace and favour reward for service to the estate (The house was to return to the church after both he and Flo. May had passed on).
There is evidence on the walls of the church of various changes made during its construction; these early builders were not troubled by the dictatorship of the modern planning department.
There is a door arch on the west gable which was never completed and the stone tracery of the east window is only half filled with stained glass.
The bottom of the window and side lancets, it seems, were always bricked up.
Whilst the church is now full of pews and other Victorian, religious junk, in its earliest days there was no seating at all except for a few benches along the wall for those who were infirm or not fit to stand. (These benches were common in early Scottish churches and are the origins of the saying - he has gone to the wall)
The church and rectory were built at the same time, but the rectory in 1869 was extensively modified by a company in Inverness, specialising in church building. To have a company whose main occupation was building churches, was in Victorian times not unusual, because there was a ferment of religiosity during Victoria’s reign. One has only to look at church hymnals to see confirmation of this, every second hymn, it seems, emanates from that period, as do most of my favourites.
There is always a hankering after the way things were in the old days, if, like me, you have responsibility for maintaining these old buildings. It is not difficult to see where cost cutting shortcuts were made, leaving a legacy of gimcrack construction for future generations to deal with. The east window is one such area where shortcuts were made.
In the firing process used by stain glass companies of the period, non traditional chemicals were used to speed up throughput; this meant that, after about a hundred years or so, most of the fine detail is lost, eroded by sunlight.
This can be clearly seen in the photo, it is just possible to make out the face of Christ on the panel. This window is at the moment undergoing restoration to its original glory by a company from Glasgow.
In 1869 a building warrant was granted for alterations to the rectory. These modifications stemmed from the fact that the responsibilities of the Minister or Rector as we call him, had expanded to cover Muir of Ord and the district of Urray. A stable block and tack room complete with fireplace and chimney were built in the grounds and servant’s quarters built onto the house (the picture shows this change, but not the latter Victorian conservatory which was so rotten that it was demolished in 2002). The stable block and tack room have been converted, in the last two years, into the centre for the diocese of Moray Ross and Caithness. The servant’s quarters and conservatory were demolished and the house extended to become the Bishop’s residence.
St John’s Episcopal Church’s history is clear evidence of the religious turbulence which has gripped Scotland for most, if not all, of its Christian past.
Scotland is not unique in this regard; religion, kings, queens and prelates have been intertwined for most of our human history, usually with dire consequences for everyone, the common folk most usually coming off the worst. These religious conflicts go back into Neolithic times and all around us here in Northern Scotland, there are still structures to be seen, such as chambered cairns, standing stones, tumuli and stone carvings which are clear indications of a powerful religious life in these hills and glens. There is some very fine pagan carving incorporated into the walls of the steading of Cotterton Farm house.
But our interest is in the more recent past the conversion and spread of Christianity in these parts. In Scotland Christianity owes its spread to Saints from that great centre of early Christian faith and education, Ireland.
Ireland, in the earliest centuries, was an acknowledged powerhouse of the Christian faith. Its traditions were based on the belief structure of the Celtic church and not that of the church created by the Roman Empire.
Roman Catholicism did not exist until the Emperor Constantine decreed that Christianity was to be the state religion of the Roman Empire.
This stroke of good fortune for the Christian church is accredited to the Emperor having seen, in a dream, the Christian symbol called the Chi Rho and also hearing instructions in that self same dream, to carry this symbol into the pivotal battle of Milvian bridge. Constantine defeated his adversary Maxentius at the Battle of the MilvianBridge on October 28, 312, The Emporer achieved victory notwithstanding all the disadvantages he had to face, such as being severely outnumbered and late onto the battlefield.
He confessed that his victory came about through the intervention of God in the person of Christ Jesus.
It is interesting to note that Constantine himself did not become a Christian. He held onto his status as a living God and worshiped all his pagan gods as before. He only submitted to baptism and conversion on his deathbed.
Perhaps this is not surprising, given that he was not the nicest of persons; he killed his first wife by boiling her alive in her bath.
Maybe this is the origins of being “in hot water”.
Most of the missionary work in Scotland and Northumbria was carried out by Saints such as Ninian, Columba, Mungo and many others who are, to this day, venerated in churches dedicated to their memory. For example there is a Church of Scotland Mission hall at North Kessock. Kessock is an Anglicization of the name Kessog. Kessog was a missionary saint, a bishop operating in the Lowlands of Scotland in the sixth century.
He was, in fact, Scotland’s first patron Saint long before Saint Andrew. Kessog’s name was used as a battle cry by the Scots and his relics were brandished to Edwards’s army at Bannock burn. Given the successful outcome of that particular encounter, one wonders why he was supplanted by St. Andrew as patron saint. Kessog’s (Or Cessoc) principle area of operations was in and around Luss at Loch Lommond; this fact is being commemorated there this year, thus celebrating 1500 years of Christianity in that area.
If appealing to Saints or bits of saints, for intercession with the Divine is your thing, then he is to be found buried under a cairn of stones where he was martyred at Bandry, just south of Luss.
Ross-shire was also a centre of Christianity and a place of pilgrimage.
No Scots monarch worth his salt would fail to worship at the shrine of Saint Duthac in Tain. Saint Duthac (or Duthus or Duthak) (1000–1065) is the patron saint of Tain in Scotland. According to the Breviary of Aberdeen, Duthac was a native Scot. Tradition has it that Duthac was educated in Ireland (yet more evidence of that wonderful Diaspora from Ireland) and died in Tain. A chapel was built in his honour and a sanctuary established at Tain and was ministered by the Norbertine canons of Fearn Abbey.
A century later, this sanctuary was notably breached
by English supporters. they captured Robert the Bruce's wife and daughter who, at the time, were sheltering and claiming the ancient right of sanctuary in the chapel.
Edward, who was a supposedly devout Christian monarch, demonstrated his Christian love for one another by immuring The Bruce’s wife in a cage hanging on the walls of Berwick castle and Bruce’s daughter on the walls of Roxburg castle. These hapless victims had to endure their confinement in all weathers and seasons, it was said that the very clothes rotted from their bodies thus exposing their naked bodies to the vulgar gaze of the commonality.
The chapel was burnt down later in political violence between regional power groups, namely the Clan MacKay and the Clan Ross. The ruins of the chapel still exist as a centerpiece of a cemetery along the shores of the Dornoch Firth.
Saint Duthac was greatly venerated in Scotland before the (First) Reformation - Celtic to Catholic - and his memory is still preserved in place names, notably Kilduthie; Arduthie near Stonehaven and Kilduich on the shores of Loch Duich. Tain, where he died and was buried, had the Church built specially in his honour. His death is recorded in "The Annals of Ulster" for the year 1065. After many years his body was exhumed and found to be incorrupt His relics were translated to a more splendid shrine at St. Duthus Collegiate Church, built between 1370 and 1458. They disappeared in 1560 at the time of
the Reformation, probably tossed onto some midden or burnt like so many other relics at that time. Yet more evidence of the role of religion in political violence.
Lest I wander prematurely into the struggle for Scottish nationhood, let us return to this locality.
The religious centre at Allangrange was probably begun approximately two hundred years after Columba’s mission. Despite this passage of time and conversion process, there was still a very strong element of pagan worship in the local community, in fact there is evidence that pagan worship was still practised here in the 17th century.
There is a pagan legend associated with a basin stone at Arpafeelie.
A basin stone was used to collect cloud water, (rain to you and me), which was used in the ancient rites of some pagan worship or other. But the legend has it that if an animal was to drink from the stone, it was said without fail to sicken and die.
So powerful was this belief that when it was rediscovered some hundreds of years ago, it was upturned and buried (but not destroyed) so that it would cause no further evil.
A basin stone was uncovered during the recent conversion of the steading and stables of the church and the Bishop has had it set on edge and incorporated into the boundary wall, thus, in this position, it will not gather cloud water. This pagan co-existence with Christianity is not unusual, I have it on good authority from a Monk priest friend, who serves the church in Africa, that in countries such as Ghana the local population hedge their bets by supporting both Christian and Animist priests in their community, treating both with equal respect and turning to whomever they consider might best deliver the object of their particular prayers and wants.
It would be impossible to discuss the historical aspects of St John’s without looking at the history of the Christian faith itself, in the Kingdom of Scotland.
I have touched on some aspects of it already, but what I really want to explore is the reason for, and nature of Episcopalianism in Scotland.
Now, if you will forgive me and allow me a very, very short bit of preaching at this point, it is necessary to clearly state the premise upon which the whole edifice of church life is supposedly built.
The Christian religion is, we are told by Jesus Christ, one of tolerance, forbearance and love of ones’ fellow human beings. It can be truly stated that it is said to represent the true face of the divine.
Ministers and priests also tell us that God loves us no matter who or what we are, but in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus also said that I do not come to bring peace but a sword. This should not be taken as a clarion call to Christians to take up arms and resort to violence in pursuit of their faith.
It is, I believe, a foretelling by Christ of how things were to pan out after He left us. Given his wisdom, he could not have failed to see the frailty of human nature at work, even when he was alive there was certain jostling for power.
Christ did not have long to wait to see his prediction come to pass.
No sooner had he ascended into heaven when even his closest followers fell into disagreement over who was, or was not, entitled to call himself a follower.
Now project this state of affairs forward several hundred years and we have even greater and bloodier disputes.
These disagreements were enhanced by the church’s addiction to power and its control over those who wielded earthly power, this usually being the ruling monarch of the day who it has to be said was not averse to manipulating the church for his own ends as well. However, in
Scotland this state of affairs was slow to take hold, the influence of the Pope and his ministers was very limited and the Celtic church still held sway in the northern reaches of the British Isles for a long time.
In fact it was not until the council of Whitby in 664 that England was converted from the CelticChurch to the usages of the Church of Rome.
Those who refused to accept this ruling returned to Iona to continue in the old ways. Scotland, being Scotland, and England, being England, there would be a reluctance to fall in with either’s way of religion especially when the king or queen was involved.
This however is not the whole story and in Scotland there was an additional struggle between the Presbyterian and Episcopal Churches for supremacy.
This is a long and complicated chapter in our history and for a much fuller an interesting read I would commend the book “A Church for Scotland”, by the Very Reverend Gerald Stranraer Mull, a priest of this diocese.
To return to why the Episcopal Church became known as the EnglishChurch, as I have already said The Episcopal Church supported the Stuart cause both in the 1707 uprising and again though to a lesser extent, the 1745 rebellion.
After Culloden, the Stuarts’ cause was lost and the Hanoverian Forces ensured its total destruction, and to quote from a song by the Corries, a famous Folk duo of the 70’s and 80’s “They spared neither age, sex nor condition”.
The Episcopal Church fared just as badly, churches were burnt and, where this was not possible the troops made the congregations tear down the buildings with their bare hands. An even harsher penal law was introduced in 1746. Episcopal clergy were given the opportunity to recant their support for the Jacobites and to swear allegiance to King George, to pray for him by name and also register their Letters of Orders. If they did not, they were forbidden to minister to more than four people at any one time and frequently suffered imprisonment or banishment. Penalties for lay Episcopalians worshiping at Episcopal services were equally harsh; they could not hold any public office or were deprived of the right to vote and could not enter colleges or universities.
Many and varied were the schemes to circumvent the authorities, including ministers preaching from an open window in their homes, or having one service after another. It was not unusual for some priests to conduct up to 15 services on a Sunday.
Still, the Episcopal Bishops would not forswear their allegiance to the house of Stuart and many dioceses were left vacant rather than bow the knee to the house of Hanover. When this tactic became unworkable non ruling bishops were ordained. During this time of persecution the Scottish bishops consecrated Samuel Seabury as the first Bishop of North America.
Seabury was required to go to London for ordination, but he could not and would not stomach the oath of allegiance to King George, following the war of independence. He came to Scotland and was consecrated bishop in an upstairs room in a private house in Aberdeen on November 14th 1748. He was the first Anglican Bishop to serve outside the UK, thus Scotland was the birthplace of the world wide Anglican Communion.
The years of persecution had taken their toll and it was only in the north-east in Aberdeen-shire and Buchan, that any significant numbers of Episcopalians remained
At the revolution in 1689, there was a bishop in each diocese and 600 clergy ministering to two thirds of the population of Scotland. By 1792, there were only four bishops and forty priests ministering to just
5 % of the population. Gradually, after the lifting of the penal laws the church began to gain in strength but the hub was still in the north-east. However the assets of the church had long since passed into the hands of the Presbyterians and there was no possibility of reclaiming them.
As the church grew again there were not sufficient clergy to serve in the reawakened diocese and the church turned to that other Anglican church in these islands for priests, the church of England.
There was also, at this time, a general immigration into Scotland from that other country and, where else could these folks find a worship style and language they could understand and be familiar with, but in the newly awaked Episcopal Church.
If you think this is far fetched, especially the language part, - when the TV series Rab C Nesbit was transmitted in England, it carried full sub titles; nothing changes everything remains the same.
Whilst we are part of the world wide Anglican Communion, we share very little in common with the church of England. Our liturgy is uniquely our own as is the form of church governance. There are no Archbishops such as Rowan Williams, our church is ruled by a college of Bishops all of equal rank with the titular head of the church known as the Primus, ruling under a system known as Primus Inter Pares, first amongst equals.
However the greatest difference lies in the method whereby bishops are chosen to serve In England the Queen in concert with her government appoints all Bishops and Prelates. Here in Scotland we require those aspiring to the Episcopacy to stand for election.
The electoral process involves the laity and the Clergy, with the clergy taking heed but not instruction from their congregations.
So, when next you hear somebody talk about the EnglishChurch at Arpafeelie, then maybe you will be able to put them right.
I am proud to be a member of this church especially since its history is so intertwined with that of my own country.
In so many ways it is a mirror of the Scottish character, thrawn, never knowing when enough is enough, but still keeping on with eyes firmly fixed on the promises of another day.
On a somewhat romantic note, if ever you find the time, go up the track and just stand outside the church. Look to the North and away to the West and remember all our forebears who came to this place to put their trust in God. Oftimes when I am in the church on my own, more especially on a winter’s starry night, I can imagine that I hear the susurration of prayer emanating from the shades of worshipers long passed. This is a very special place, there is a warmth of spirit in the church. It seems as though those shades are still worshiping here and they are glad when somebody from the world of men and women joins with them in praise to God.
Robin MacDonald-Johnston, November 2010.
A feature of St John’s is its fine carved oak altar and reredos. Another feature of the altar is the Gaelic script on the retable proclaiming: “Emmanuel + Dia maille ruinne” (Emmanuel + God with us.) and at the base of the altar proclaiming: “Is mise aran na beatha” (I AM the Bread of Life). Another unusual feature is the fact the bell-rope for the church bell hangs outside the church. The Church was re-opened in 1974, having been closed for some years.
Charity Number: SC0040000