Episcopal Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori has tackled male-dominated fields before as an oceanographer and a pilot. Now, she is taking on an even broader challenge as the first woman in the world to lead an Anglican province.
Jefferts Schori, bishop of Nevada, was elected on Sunday as the first female presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, the US arm of the Anglican Communion. It is the latest groundbreaking and potentially divisive move by the US denomination.
Three years ago, Episcopalians stunned the communion by consecrating the first openly gay bishop -- V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. The Episcopal General Convention, the national meeting where Jefferts Schori was elected, will decide this week whether to appease angry overseas arch-bishops by temporarily barring homosexuals from leading dioceses.
As presiding bishop, Jefferts Schori will have to explain the church's decision to elevate Robinson, which she supported, to the Anglican leaders who don't even consider her ordination valid. Many Anglicans believe women should not be ordained.
Only two of the 37 other Anglican provinces -- New Zealand and Canada -- have female bishops, although some allow women to serve in the post.
Asked how she would deal with such opposition, Jefferts Schori recalled a science research cruise she joined where the captain, who thought she didn't belong, vowed not to speak with her.
After 15 minutes on board, she said, "He got over it."
"I will bend over backward to build relationships with people who disagree with me," she said.
How the Anglican Communion will respond is unclear. The first test will come at a meeting of all the Anglican archbishops -- called primates -- next year in Tanzania.
The Reverend Canon Chris Sugden, a leader of Anglican Mainstream, a Church of England conservative group, said the election of Jefferts Schori "shows that the Episcopal leaders are going to do what they want to do regardless of what it means to the rest of the communion.
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