[edow] FULL STORY: Jefferts Schori elected presiding bishop

[Church House News]

Jefferts Schori elected presiding bishop
By Jim Naughton

Columbus, Ohio, June 18 -- The Episcopal Church surprised itself today,
electing the Rt. Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori, the Bishop of Nevada,
as its next presiding bishop. Schori is the first woman elected to the
position, and will become the first female primate in the worldwide
Anglican Communion.

Jefferts Schori, who has never served as a rector and leads one of the
Church's smaller dioceses, was considered a long shot, but she had
impressed those who had worked with her on various Church committees,
particularly the Special Committee on the Episcopal Church and the
Anglican Communion, which has helped craft the Church's response to the
Windsor Report.

In addition, Jefferts Schori, who gave portions of her acceptance speech
in Spanish, had strong support among the Church's 12 women bishops and
bishops from the province that includes parts of Central and South
America and the Caribbean.

Several bishops said before the election that they planned to vote for
Jefferts Schori on the first ballot, but expected to move on to a more
viable candidate on subsequent ballots. However, she claimed the lead
immediately, and never relinquished it, eventually winning a close race
with the Rt. Rev. Henry Parsley of Alabama on the fifth ballot, 95-82,
with 11 votes going to other candidates.

After the bishops' elected Jefferts Schori, her selection was
overwhelmingly approved by the House of Deputies. In a "vote by orders"
she received consent from 98 of 109 deputations of diocesan clergy and
94 deputations of diocesan laity.

"I think the Church has spoken," said the Rt. Rev. Jane Dixon, retired
suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Washington who, along with the Rt.
Rev. Barbara Harris, the diocese's assisting bishop, was among Jefferts
Schori's strongest supporters.

"We want to celebrate the goodness of God's creation. Male and female he
created them in the image of God," Dixon said.

In addition to being the Church's first female presiding bishop,
Jefferts Schori is also believed to be the first presiding bishop with a
Ph. D. in the sciences (oceanography) and a pilot's license.

"She is brilliant. She is thoughtful. She brings clarity of vision...
and she speaks Spanish!" said the Rev. Gay Jennings of the Diocese of
Ohio, in supporting Jefferts Schori's election in the House of Deputies.

A number of deputies pointed out how fitting it was that she was elected
at the convention where the church celebrated the 30th anniversary of
women's ordination. Deputy Sarah Lawton said she remembers in 1976 she
was 10 years old when the General Convention endorsed the ordination of
women. "I will be so glad to bring the news to my daughter who's almost
10 that the presiding bishop is a woman," said Lawton.

John Vanderstar, of the Diocese of Washington said, "I rise to add
another male voice to the chorus [of those speaking in favor of
confirmation]. If you listen carefully, you will hear and I hope enjoy
the sound of another glass ceiling being shattered."

Jefferts Schori's nomination was even supported by Blanca Echeverry, the
wife of the Columbian Bishop Eduardo Duque-Gomez, who was himself a
candidate. "She is a person who knows the Latin American Church," said
Echeverry, speaking through an interpreter.

Only one person spoke against the confirmation. The Rev. Eddie Blue of
Maryland said he was "shocked" and "saddened" by the vote from the House
of Bishops, commenting on, "the peculiar genius our Church has for
roiling the waters [of the Anglican Communion]."

After her confirmation, referring to the six other candidates in the
field, Jefferts Schori said: "I give thanks for all of my brother
bishops who walked this journey with me... I would ask you to give
thanks for their ministries."

Canon Kenneth Kearon, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, was
in the House of Deputies when Jefferts Schori's election was announced.
"Obviously I want to wish her well," he said. "She seems a very capable
person." Kearon said he did not think the Episcopal Church's election of
a woman as its primate would necessarily upset others in the Anglican
Communion. "It would seem to me the primary issue is women in the
episcopacy. The Episcopal Church has female bishops, so in that sense,
this is not new."

He said that he thought Jefferts Schori could be accepted by primates
whose provinces do not believe women should be priests because, "being a
member of the primates meeting is not a sacramental function."

When asked about this issue at a press conference after her
confirmation, Jefferts Schori said: "Face to face, human beings build
relationships."

"I will bend over backwards to build relationships with people who
disagree with me," she added.

Jefferts Schori said that on her first voyage as chief scientist on an
ocean-going vessel, the captain had resolved not to talk to her. His
resolve lasted 15 minutes. "We got over it," she said. "I think this is
a grand adventure, a great opportunity to meet people form across the
broad reach of this world."

When the Rev. Chris Sugden of the conservative British advocacy group
Anglican Mainstream asked her how she thought average Anglicans, whom he
described as predominantly young, poor, African and evangelical, would
respond to the news that she had voted to confirm the election of the
Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003, Jefferts
Schori said she thought if Sugden's description were correct, the
average Anglican was probably more interested in issues including
hunger, inadequate housing, unclean water and limited access to
education.

At the conclusion of her news conference, Jefferts Schori introduced her
husband Richard Miles Schori, a retired theoretical mathematician, her
daughter Katharine, 24, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, and
her son-in-law Aaron Miles. Like her mother, Katherine Miles is a pilot.

Jefferts Schori will be installed as presiding bishop at Washington
National Cathedral on November 4.