Each day during March, we celebrate the contributions 31 women have made and recognize their specific achievement as bishop in the Episcopal Church.
Today we celebrate Bishop-elect Paula Clark of the Diocese of Chicago
“We Episcopalians are strong people who can model for the rest of this country and the world what it looks like to walk the way of love, and I look forward to ministering with you, diocese of Chicago, meeting you all. After all those Zoom webinars, I can’t wait to see your faces,” Clark said.” After they [her family] weren’t able to integrate into a Baptist church, her family began attending an Episcopal church. On April 24, 2021 the Rev. Paula Clark will become the 13th Bishop of Chicago, its first Black bishop and the first woman to lead the diocese.
“The Diocese of Chicago is thrilled that the Rev. Paula Clark is our bishop-elect. Her deep grounding in faith, passion for justice, delightful sense of humor and tremendous skills in leadership equip her to lead our church in today’s world. Getting to know Bishop-elect Paula has given me great joy, and I can’t wait for the people of the diocese and the state to get to know her as well!” said the Rev. Anne Jolly, president of the Standing Committee.
Click here to read more about Bishop-elect Clark.
“All bishops of the Episcopal Church, active or retired, make up the House of Bishops. Like the governing body of the United States, the governing body of the Episcopal Church (called “the General Convention”) is comprised of two Houses: the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies. They meet and act separately, and both Houses must concur to adopt legislation. General Convention meets every three years, and the House of Bishops meets twice a year between conventions in a non-legislative capacity. The Presiding Bishop is the president of the House of Bishops.”
Source: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/who-we-are/church-governance/house-of-bishops/; https://religionnews.com/2020/12/14/episcopal-diocese-of-chicago-elects-the-rev-paula-clark-its-first-black-and-first-female-bishop/; https://episcopalchicago.org/bishop-elect-clark-receives-consents/