Congratulating the First Female Bishop in Anglican Church of Kenya
Press Release
The entire family of the National Council of Churches of Kenya congratulates Reverend Canon Dr Emily Awino Onyango on her consecration as the first female Bishop in the history of the Anglican Church of Kenya.
This has opened a door for inclusion of women in spiritual nurture of the society and leadership in the church. Canon Dr Emily follows in the footsteps of women in the Bible who excelled in providing leadership to the nation, of whom we recall Deborah, who was a distinguished Judge and leader, and Huldah the Prophetess who redirected the spiritual life of the king and country. Canon Dr Emily today joins the growing fellowship of female Bishops and Senior Clergy within the NCCK family.
Canon Dr Emily was elected Assistant Bishop for the ACK Bondo Diocese in January 2021 and is being consecrated today. He election came 32 years after Barbara Harris was elected Bishop of Episcopal Church in Massachusetts, America, making her the first woman to be a Bishop in the Anglican Church Communion. In Africa, the first female bishop in the Anglican Communion was Ellinah Wamukoya, who was elected in 2012 by the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.
Our prayer and inspiration to Rev Canon Dr Emily is a paraphrase of the word recorded in Acts 20: 28 and in 1 Peter 5: 4
Keep watch over yourself and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you an overseer. Be a shepherd of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
The NCCK family also congratulates the Anglican Diocese of Bondo, under the leadership of Rt Rev Dr David Kodia, for the bold move to break from tradition and elect a female Bishop. We also commend Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit, in whose term this momentous feat has been accomplished.
Signed on this 27th day of March 2021 at Jumuia Place, Nairobi.
Rev Canon Chris Kinyanjui
General Secretary
