The Bishop of Argyll & The Isles, Rt Rev Dr Keith Riglin, has died after a short illness, the Scottish Episcopal Church has announced.
Bishop Keith, who was 66, died on Sunday, with his family beside him, at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, in Paisley.
His ministry began in the Baptist Church from 1983 until 1996, and continued in the United Reformed Church until 2008, when he was ordained deacon and priest in the Church of England.
In 2012, he was appointed Chaplain of King’s College, London, a post he held until 2021, during which time he also served as Assistant Dean (2017-20) and Vice-Dean (2020-21). He was then consecrated as a bishop in St John’s Cathedral, Oban, on 1 May 2021.
The Bishop of London, Rt Rev Sarah Mullally, was among those who paid tribute to Bishop Keith on social media. “Bishop Keith was a friend to many in London [diocese] and we were grateful for his ministry and friendship,” she wrote. “Our sympathy and prayers are with Jen, his family, all at Wesley’s Chapel [where his wife, Jen, is Superintendent Minister] and the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.”
The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Most Rev Mark Strange, has also paid tribute: “Bishop Keith first came to the Scottish Episcopal Church in 2012 as part of a long journey through ordained ministry across the UK. He brought many gifts to the Church, primarily the joy he took in his ministry, as well as his love of engaging everyone he met in conversation, which brought him close to so many of us.
“Today, we grieve for our Brother in Christ, and we ask for your prayers for Bishop Keith’s wife, Jen, and for his family and loved ones, as well as the congregations, clergy, leaders and staff of the Diocese of Argyll & The Isles.”
