Priests in Aberdeen and Orkney are threatening to resign over the appointment of Scotland’s first female bishop, saying the move was “divisive and disrespectful”.

Seven of the diocese’s 14 priests have signed an open letter protesting against the appointment in November of Anne Dyer as bishop.



The letter says Dyer’s appointment “directly goes against the established wishes of the diocese on the views it would hope that our new bishop would hold and minister to us from the perspective of them”.



Dyer is the first woman to be made a bishop by the Scottish Episcopal church since its general synod voted to allow female bishops almost 15 years ago.



She is a supporter of same-sex marriage, which was accepted by the Scottish church last summer, in a historic move that resulted in de facto sanctions being imposed by the global Anglican communion. Aberdeen and Orkney was the only diocese in Scotland to oppose the move in consultations. Dyer officiated at a same-sex marriage in October.



However, the principal objection to Dyer’s appointment among signatories of the protest letter ostensibly concerns process. In the Scottish church, bishops are elected to post. However, an electoral committee in Aberdeen and Orkney twice failed to agree on a shortlist of candidates. Under such circumstances canon law stipulates that the choice falls to bishops.

The letter says the “level of disquiet” in the diocese has already resulted in the resignation of the dean and a chapter canon, and that “others are considering similar action”.

John Walker, rector of the Donside churches group and a key signatory of the letter, told the Guardian: “This disagreement is not with Anne Dyer personally but the way the bishops made the appointment. The bishops said they would respect the conservative nature of our diocese.”

At the time of the vote on same-sex marriage, Scottish bishops had said different views on the issue would be respected, said Walker. “Now they have chosen to appoint someone who backs same-sex marriage and indeed has already conducted one.”

Alastair MacDonald, also a signatory and rector of St Drostan’s, Insch, and All Saints, Fyvie, said there were “different reasons for different people” in objecting to Dyer’s appointment. “But there is a general feeling that bishops haven’t listened to the diocese. This is probably the most conservative diocese in Scotland, and it happens to be quite united.”

The letter demands a meeting between representatives of the diocese and Dyer before her consecration, and also asks that consent for the appointment be sought from the diocese electoral synod. If that is not possible, it goes on, “then we would ask that Canon Anne consider withdrawing her acceptance”.

Mark Strange, primus of the Scottish Episcopal church, said the appointment was made in accordance with canon law. Photograph: YouTube

The signatories also expressed concern that Dyer “is not a car driver and this adds to the disquiet. She may have a plan as to how she will travel around the diocese, but, if so, we do not know of anyone within the diocese who has been informed of it.”

In a letter responding to the protesters, Mark Strange, the bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness and primus of the Scottish Episcopal church, said bishops “deplore that you have sought to subvert the outcome of the canonical process which led to Canon Dyer’s election”.

The bishops had been unanimous in their choice and the process was in accordance with canon law, he said.

“You state in your letter … that your ‘protest’ is not personally directed at Canon Dyer, and also that it does not concern arguments about women bishops or same-sex marriage. We are glad to note that and simply observe that to invite her to withdraw her acceptance of election seems entirely inconsistent with those assertions.”

He said many in the diocese had expressed delight at Dyer’s selection.