This morning, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori announced that she will not stand for re-election in 2015. Her gracious letter demonstrates the dignity and spiritual clarity with which she has led our beloved Episcopal Church for the past eight years and that I have been privileged to witness in our work together during this triennium.
Since 2006, when she became the first woman to hold her office, Bishop Katharine has traveled to every corner of the church to galvanize laypeople and clergy, testify to the power of generous Christianity, and advocate for exploring the wonders of God through scientific understanding. Both at home and abroad, she has inspired people to care for the poor, remember the outcast, and heal the world.
During some difficult years in the Anglican Communion, Bishop Katharine helped navigate the politics that resulted from our faithful, if not always straightforward, path toward the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Christians. Her strong leadership and commitment to justice have allowed her to guide our church through anxious times and bring us closer to the reign of God.
I am grateful to have Bishop Katharine as a colleague and friend, and I am glad that we will enjoy another year of working together. May God bless her as she continues to lead our church and discern her future ministry.
–The Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, president, House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church
September 23, 2014
