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Hope for Kenya’s first woman Anglican bishop

Hope for Kenya’s first woman Anglican bishop
Archbishop Eliud Wabukala told the Sunday Nation that he has written to bishops in all the dioceses on the need to change clauses in the constitution, which use the pronoun “he” in reference to the bishop and “he and she” when referring to priests and other members of the clergy of lower ranks.
“The danger is that people in this country are so litigious. We can end up with an elected woman bishop and then someone moves to court to challenge such an election. There is need to reach a consensus among all the dioceses on the way forward. As a church, we really value the input and role of women leaders,” the Archbishop said.

By Justus Wanga
The DAILY NATION
http://www.nation.co.ke/
July 16, 2014

The decision July 14 by the General Synod of the Church of England to allow ordination of female bishops has reignited fresh hopes among local women priests of rising to top leadership in the Anglican Church of Kenya.

They see this as being achievable in their life time and not in the distant future. Things are most promising in the Embu Diocese that is expected to elect a new bishop at the end of the year. Canon Rosemary Mbogo, who will be contesting, could become the first female Anglican bishop in the country.

Senior women priests who spoke to the Sunday Nation said they stand to benefit from the ripple effects of the landmark move despite the fact that the decision by the Engish synod is not binding on all the 38 provinces of the Anglican Communion in the world.

Canon Naomi Waqo, the Nairobi Diocese administrative secretary, praised the move saying it signals a renaissance of the modern church.

“I was very happy when I heard this particular news and I said thanks be to God. It gives us more power and much as we are an independent province, we are together in spirit and so it has serious impact here.

“Whatever they do affects us because we received the gospel from them,” the prelate said.

A diocesan secretary is only a rank below the bishop. The Rev Waqo argues that having women in the house of bishops will enrich the debate and make it more appealing to all members of the church.

The canon pointed out that there is nothing in the Scriptures to stop women from becoming bishops.

“When we join the ministry, it is a calling from God and He does not give more portions to men. We are equally empowered because once ordained, both men and women are made deacons, then they are ordained priests. The only thing that then remains is to be made a bishop,” she said.

The Rev Joyce Kariuki of St Francis Church, Karen, in the Diocese of Nairobi agrees with Canon Waqo.

“The vote was long overdue. It is a noble idea to allow women to serve God without any inhibitions because they are as qualified as their male counterparts. I must, however, add that this is not a war between men and women in the Church,” she said.

She observes that even though Kenya and other provinces embraced the idea of having women bishops earlier, the reluctance of their forebears had a negative impact on them.
“We received the gospel from them and they continue to influence us. And being that it was not embraced from the top, you expect the rate of diffusion to be slow,” she said.

But as this happens, it is also emerging that the framing of the church’s constitution may expose successful women bishops to legal suits unless certain clauses are amended to reflect the position by the Anglican Province that it has nothing against consecration of female bishops.

Archbishop Eliud Wabukala

Archbishop Eliud Wabukala told the Sunday Nation that he has written to bishops in all the dioceses on the need to change clauses in the constitution, which use the pronoun “he” in reference to the bishop and “he and she” when referring to priests and other members of the clergy of lower ranks.

“In Clause Four, bishop is exclusively referred to as male while Clause Five on priests recognises that both men and women can be priests.
The Anglican Church of Kenya constitution does not address itself to the issue of consecrating female bishops, neither does it outlaw it.

“The danger is that people in this country are so litigious. We can end up with an elected woman bishop and then someone moves to court to challenge such an election. There is need to reach a consensus among all the dioceses on the way forward. As a church, we really value the input and role of women leaders,” the Archbishop said.

Although the Anglican Church constitution does not bar female priests from being elected bishops, none has ever made it through in what observers attribute to a male-dominated electoral college that tends to be patriarchal.

The Dean of the Province Joseph Wasonga, who is also the Bishop of Maseno West, says the Anglican ministry belongs to all who are baptised, be they men or women, and as such no one can deny the other an opportunity to serve in whatever capacity.

“What is necessary is the calling and training for those positions. As we speak, deacons are both male and female. Everybody will find space in the church and the Bible continually affirms such roles in the ministry,” he said.

“It is only in Embu Diocese where the process of electing a new bishop is ongoing because the man of God in charge retires at the end of the year. We may be lucky to get the first woman bishop there,” said Waqo.

The Anglican Church of Kenya agreed in principal to ordain women in 1980 but this only happened in 1992 in the Church of England.Today, there are about 300 ordained women priests and another 10 canons.

END

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