Archibald Campbell (bishop) facts for kids

Archibald Campbell (died 1744) was an important church leader in the Scottish Episcopal Church. He served as the Bishop of Aberdeen, a high-ranking position in the church.

Archibald Campbell was the son of Lord Neill Campbell and Lady Vere Kerr. His grandfathers were Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll, and William Kerr, 1st Earl of Lothian. This means he came from a very well-known and important family in Scotland.

Archibald Campbell: A Scottish Bishop

Archibald Campbell was a deep thinker and spent a lot of time studying the writings of early Christian leaders, known as the church fathers. He wrote a book called The Doctrine of the Middle State between Death and the Resurrection in 1731. In this book, he supported the idea of prayer for the dead, which means praying for people who have passed away.

Life in England and the Nonjurors

Campbell lived in England for many years. There, he became friends with a group of English churchmen called the nonjurors. These were clergy members who refused to swear loyalty to the new king and queen after the Glorious Revolution of 1688. They believed the previous king was still the rightful ruler.

His friends among the nonjurors included George Hickes, Thomas Brett, Thomas Deacon, and Roger Laurence.

The Usages Controversy

Within the nonjuror group, there was a disagreement known as the "usages controversy." This was about whether to use certain old church practices (or "usages") in their worship services. Archibald Campbell strongly believed in using these older traditions and wrote two pamphlets to defend his views.

In the early 1730s, Thomas Brett tried to bring the nonjurors who supported the usages back together with those who didn't. However, Campbell, Laurence, and Deacon disagreed with this reunion. They decided to form their own group, sticking to the extreme (strongest) views on the usages.

Forming a New Church Group

In mid-1733, Campbell tried to get help from other bishops in England, but he couldn't find any. So, he went ahead and made Roger Laurence a bishop by himself. After that, both Campbell and Laurence then made Thomas Deacon a bishop.

Because these ordinations (making someone a bishop) didn't follow the usual church rules, this new group was never officially recognized by the main nonjuror church. This breakaway group became known as the Orthodox British Church. They had congregations (groups of worshippers) in London, Shrewsbury, and Manchester. The Manchester congregation continued to exist until the early 1800s.

Later Life and Death

Archibald Campbell passed away in London in June 1744.