The 26th Presiding Bishop

The 26th Presiding Bishop
Katharine Jefferts Schori

There it is in a nutshell.

This Episcopal Church has indeed done something catholic, evangelical and revolutionary, all in one.

Electing women and men as bishops is catholic, even if all Catholics can’t bring themselves to think of women in that role, for catholicity is a function of baptismal call.

Electing women and men as bishops is evangelical, even if all Evangelicals can’t abide bishops all that easily, for bishops are our evangelical tool and this election says something quite mighty about the good news of God’s working in the life of the Church.

Electing a women who is a bishop as our primary bishop, as the head of the church is revolutionary, even if revolutionary change is always suspicious of hierarchy, be it patriarchal or matriarchal. In electing Bishop Schori there is the momentary possibility of revolutionary engagement with a principle that permeates even the greatest of hierarchical schemes.

That principle is that of inverse proportionality, a favorite of Jesus: “let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.” Luke 22:25-26, RSV. Bishop Schori is among the newer of the bishops. She is a woman. Until recently no catholic or evangelical minded body would have chosen her, but here she is.

Inverse proportionality: the proposition that the least will be greatest, and the greatest least. If she brings that extraordinary news into the gatherings of the primates, she will meet the reverberations of similar feelings from others. Who among the primates does not have that sense? We heard from the Archbishop of York that he never imagined that the Ugandan baby who almost died in poverty might one day become the Archbishop of York. We know it in the wonderful rise to the office of Primate in many parts of the world by people of low position and devalued status. And here, in one fell swoop, the Bishops of this Church chose a woman to preside over them and guide us all. There is here a possible revolutionary, catholic and evangelical moment.

It was a grace filled occasion. Having served on the Joint Nominating Committee I was overjoyed that the candidates we had chosen were so well received, and that it remained clear that Bishop Schori was no token anything, but indeed catholic, evangelican and revolutionary.

Now it is time to go to work making her ministry in this office a blessing to her and to all of us.