Gifts In The Most Unlikely Guises...Katharine Jefferts Schori

“We are slowly learning that God gives gifts to us in the most unlikely guises—people we find it hard to like, people with whom we disagree profoundly, and people we would rather ignore or marginalize. We are also learning that we can only be a real community if we’re willing to be faithful to our best and deepest understanding of the truth.”

--Katharine Jefferts Schori, 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States

Twice a month on Tuesdays, WOMEN AT LIBERTY provides a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage, and strengthen women leaders. This week, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori is featured. She is the first woman to be elected as the chief bishop or the highest leader of the Anglican Church in U.S.  She was elected in 2006.

Bishop Jefferts Schori is responsible for initiating and developing policy for the Episcopal Church and speaks on behalf of the church regarding the policies, strategies, and programs of the church.  Before her calling to the priesthood and subsequent ordination in 1994, she was an oceanographer. She has a B.S. in biology from Stanford University, an M.S. and Ph.D. in oceanography from Oregon State University, an M.Div. from Church Divinity School of the Pacific.

In today's video, Bishop Jefferts Schori talks about managing change within her church denomination, how she dealt with discrimination within the church, and the positive use of power. To view the  Leadership Tuesdays' feature, click here. For more information on Leadership Tuesdays, see here.