The Very Rev Dr Emsley Nimmo at St Margaret's

The first Clan Hay Zoom lecture of the 2023 season will take place on Saturday 4 February at 6.00 pm, UK time.

Our speaker is the Very Rev Dr Emsley Nimmo, Dean Emeritus of the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney in the Scottish Episcopal Church, and his talk is titled A Jig through Scotland's Ecclesiastical History.

This is in response to a request from a member to hear more of how the church and its post-Reformation struggles and divisions impacted on our ancestors' everyday lives.  Historically, the church played a much bigger role in our lives than it does today, until well into the 19th century responsible for education, poor relief, and much else now handled by local and national government.  Dr Nimmo explains: "This talk will try and untangle the confusing web of Scottish Church history.  To many, the study of Scotland's ecclesiastical past can be a daunting exercise.  It is intended that this talk will help make clearer the forces that shaped the Church in Scotland from the Romano-British era through the Pictish and Celtic period and on into the Medieval church.  We will look at the Reformation and subsequent to-ing and fro-ing of Presbyterianism and Episcopalianism within the Church of Scotland.  We will also look at the Jacobite period and then the influences that shaped the Victorian church, particularly in terms of worship.  This is very much a broad sweep but I hope it will be helpful.  Questions afterwards will be most welcome."

Emsley Nimmo was born in Glasgow in 1953 and educated at the University of Aberdeen and Edinburgh Theological College.  He was Precentor of St Andrews Cathedral Inverness before being appointed Priest in Charge of Stornoway in 1981, where he became Rector in 1984.  He was Rector of St Michael's and All Saints Edinburgh 1984-90 and has been Rector of St Margaret's Gallowagate, Aberdeen, since 1990.  He was Dean of Aberdeen & Orkney 2008-17 and is now Dean Emeritus.