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Rev Mark Strange, Rector Elgin,Lossiemouth, Aberlour & Dufftown
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Bishop Mark Strange
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I have copied below an extract from the Bishops Charge given in 2008. I trust it will encourage visitors to this website and to our diocese and that they will know our faith is one of joy and hope.
"I wish to start this charge in the place I concluded the last one, I spoke then of, I quote “Let us enjoy being Episcopalians, let us show the Highlands that our faith is one that allows us to laugh and dance and sing, a faith that they may wish to discover and which we openly ask them to share with us........
I have attended Sunday Worship in all of our churches, an experience that reveals the diversity and excellence of our liturgical and hospitable life together.
I spoke about being an itinerant Bishop, spending time amongst the people of the Diocese, that is a commission I am trying to take very seriously, the reason for that is so that I can truly keep the promises I made before you all, promises I keep on my desk so that I can measure my daily life against them.
I promised, “as chief pastor to encourage and support all the baptised in their gifts and ministries, to nourish you out of God’s grace, to pray for you and to celebrate with you the sacraments of our redemption”......
What I have also discovered is that none of our congregations are fundamentally different from each other, whatever style or process they engage in, however large or small they are, what we have found Sunday by Sunday are people worshipping God with all their hearts and souls, people offering themselves to each other in service and congregations full of joy and hope....
There are many things both exciting and challenging facing us... Prayer and worship is at the heart of what we do, we need to be seen to be engaged in that cycle of prayer which makes up our church year. Our worship needs to be visible and welcoming, powerful and inspiring; it is the worship of God that draws people to us, not gimmicks. So do not be afraid of allowing people to share and live our liturgies with us, stop ourselves from excluding those who see things differently from us, let us not hear words of intolerance and hatred coming from our lips, for when we pray and sing, when we teach and learn, when we share and offer then there we will see the life of Christ. Keep me travelling along with you. Amen. + Mark
Bishop Mark was brought up in Aberdeen, attending Hazlehead Academy before moving on to study Theology at Aberdeen University. As a boy he had two great loves, scouting and performing, either on stage or as a chorister in St Andrew’s, Cathedral. Mark’s connection to the Cathedral included youth club, badminton club, serving and as one of the youngest members of the vestry.
Mark met Jane while she was studying English at the University.
They were married in 1983 and before long found themselves without a home or without work and for two years they travelled from place to place looking for employment. Ultimately they arrived in Worcester , a job as Cathedral verger soon followed for Mark while Jane became a shop assistant for Thorntons. A second trip to selection conference saw Mark and Jane off to Lincoln Theological College, Jane once again working in a variety of places to fund Mark’s training.
Mark was ordained Deacon in Worcester Cathedral and served his title in the parish of St Barnabas, Rainbow Hill with Christchurch, Tolladine. This ministry led to Mark being invited to become Vicar of St Wulstan’s, Church Warndon where he spent 6 years.
At the end of this time Mark was invited by the then Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness to apply for Elgin. Mark and Jane moved to Moray and spent ten years working with the communities of Elgin and Lossiemouth eventually joined by Dufftown and Aberlour. On 13 October 2007 with great celebration, Mark was consecrated as the ninth Bishop Of Moray, Ross and Caithness.
The Bishop’s family now live in the Rectory at St John’s Arpafeelie. Jane having retrained as a primary school teacher . They have three children Aidan, Beth and Mara. The girls are at Fortorse Acadamey on The Black Isle. Aidan is at University in Cumbria studying Musical Theatre.
Bishop Mark on the day of his Consecration as our Bishop, with the Cathedral's Provost on his right and the Dean on his left together with some of the Canons.This photograph reminds me of the book 'the loneliness of the long distance runner' and St Paul 'who ran the race'. Bishop Mark must not be left to run the race on his own but feel that we run with him. We can expect a long but exciting journey - no doubt those bagpipes will encourage (or scare us) as we step out in faith!!
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