Our Bishop: Bishop Mark Strange was brought up in Aberdeen, attending Hazlehead Academy before moving on to study Theology at Aberdeen University. He met Jane while she was studying English at the University. Jane comes from Padiham in Lancashire and was brought up in a devout Roman Catholic family. They were married in 1983 and after two years traveling from place to place looking for employment they arrived in Worcester where Mark found work as Cathedral verger 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 a parish of 18,000 on one large council scheme. After six years there rebuilding the congregation and developing lay ministries and mission outreach, 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 Mark was consecrated as the ninth Bishop Of Moray, Ross and Caithness. On 27th June 2017 (feast day for Bishop Jolly of Moray), Bishop Mark was elected Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church by the Episcopal Synod.
The Bishop’s family now live at Bishop’s House, St John’s Arpafeelie. Jane having retrained as a primary school teacher and working in a variety of schools, continues to develop a ministry of hospitality. They have three children Aidan, Beth and Mara. Bishop Mark and Jane love nothing more than an evening spent in good company with a small sensation from a local distillery.