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Ellinah Wamukoya of Swaziland becomes Africa’s first female Anglican bishop
Anglican Church officials applaud Bishop Ellinah Wamukuoya (c) at the conclusion of her consecration as Bishop. PHOTO/File
As the Church of England weighs whether it will allow women to become bishops, the Anglican Church has ordained its first female bishop in Africa.
Ellinah Wamukoya, 61, was consecrated Saturday to serve as the church’s bishop in Swaziland.
Speaking Monday to The Associated Press, Wamukoya said she wanted to bring integrity to the church.
“I am going to try to represent the mother attribute of God,” Wamukoya said. “A mother is a caring person but at the same time, a mother can be firm in doing whatever she is doing.”
Wamukoya also acknowledged that she represents a historic change for the Anglican church on the continent, where other denominations don’t allow women to serve as bishops. Recently, the Southern Africa diocese elected a second woman, Margaret Vertue, to become a bishop in the Cape Town area of False Bay.
“It is also humbling and challenging because I know that the whole world is looking up to me to see if I would deliver and to what level I am going to deliver,” she said.
Tuesday, the Church of England will vote on allowing women bishops throughout the church, as some dioceses already do. A majority of the church’s governing General Synod is ready to say yes, but a two-thirds majority must approve the measure. An unlikely coalition of advocates and opponents of female bishops may have enough strength to derail the motion.
