Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership

Women Bishops

Also see Chronology of women's ordination, Germany Ecclesiastical Territories, Netherlands Substates, Switzerland Ecclesiastical Territories, Belgium Eccleastical Territories, France Ecclesiastical Territory,  Spain Ecclesiastical Territory and Princess-Abbesses

Methodist Church

1980-84 Marjorie S. Matthews, Wisconsin (USA)
She lived (1916-86)

1984-88 Leontine T.G. Kelly, San Francisco
The first black bishop in a major domination

1984-99 Judith Craig, Ohio West (USA)

1988- Sharon Brown Christopher, Illinois (USA)

1988- Susan Murch Morrison, Albany (USA)

1988- Superintendent Minister of Vuda Revd. Paula Nayala Niukiula, Fiji

1992- Sharon Zimmerman Rader, Wisconsin (USA)

1992- Ann Sherer, Missouri (USA)

1992- Mary Ann Swenson, Denver/Rocky Mountain Diocese USA (USA)

1996- Susan Hassinger, Boston (USA)

1996-2004 Janice Riggle Huie, Arkansas (South Central Jurisdictional Conference) (USA)
2004- Bishop of Houston
20.. President of the United Methodist Council of Bishops

1996- Charlene Kammerer, Charlotte (USA)

1996- Maureen Jones, Nairobi (Kenya)

Ca. 1999 Graziela Alvarez in Mexico

2000- Violet Fisher, Northeastern District (USA)

2000- Beverly Shamana, San Francisco (USA)
The second Black Methodist Bishop

2000- Margaret Payne, New England Synod (USA)

2000- Linda Lee, Michigan (USA)

2000- Purity Malinga, Natal Costal District (South Africa)

2004- Mary Virginia Taylor, South Carolina United Methodist Conference (USA)

2004- Hope Morgan Ward of Raleigh, Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference (USA)

2004- Minerva Carcaño, Phoenix Episcopal Area and the Desert Southwest Annual Conference (USA)
Former superintendent of the Metropolitan District of the Oregon-Idaho Conference. 3 other women became bishops that year.

2005- Presiding Bishop Rosemarie Wenner of the United Methodist Church of Germany
A District superintendent of the United Methodist Church in Germany since 1996, she is the first female bishop of the church outside the USA
2008- Joaquina Filipe Nhana, Matola United Methodist Church in Mozambique

Anglican Church

1989-2003 Suffragan Bishop Barbara C. Harris, Massachusetts (USA)
Since her retirement she has worked as assisting bishop to Bishop John B. Chane in the Diocese of WashingtonMethodist Church

1990-2004 Bishop Penelope Ann Bansall Jaimeson, Dunedin (New Zealand)
Known as Penny Jaimeson

1992-2001 Suffragan Bishop Jane Holmes Dixon, Washington D.C. (USA)
2001-02 Acting Bishop of the Diocese

1993-2001 Bishop Mary Adelia McLeod, Vermont (USA)

1994-97 Suffragan Bishop Victoria Matthews, Toronto (Canada)
1997-2007 Bishop of Edmonton
2007-08 Bishop in Residence at Wycliffe College, an Anglican seminary at the University of Toronto
2008- Bishop of Christchurch (New Zealand and Polynesia)

1996-  Bishop Geralyn Wolf, Rhode Island  (USA)

1996- Bishop Carolyn Tanner Irish,  Utah (USA)

1996-  Suffragan Bishop Catherine S. Roskam, New York (USA)

1997-  Bishop Catherine Eliz Maples Waynick, Indianapolis (USA)

1997-  Suffragan Bishop Ann E Tottenham, Toronto (Canada)

1998-   Bishop Chilton Abbie Richardson Knudsen, Maine (USA)  

2001-06 Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, Nevada (USA)
2006- Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church of the United States

2002-07 Suffragan Bishop Carol Joy Gallagher, Southern Virginia (USA)

2003- Suffragan Bishop Gayle Elizabeth Harris, Massachusetts (USA)
The 14. female Bishop in the Episcopal, Anglican Church in the USA.

2005- Suffragan Bishop Bavi Edna "Nedi" Rivera Olympia (USA)

2006- Suffragan Bishop Dena Harrison, Austin-Waco Region (USA)

2007- Suffragan Bishop Nerva Cot Aguilera, Cuba

2007-  Suffragan Bishop Laura Ahrens, Connecticut (USA)

2007- Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves, Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real (USA)

2007- Bishop Sue Moxley, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island (Canada)

2008- Assistant Bishop Kay Goldsworthy, Western Australia (Australia)

2008- Bishop The Very Revd Jane Alexander, Edmonton (Canada)
Acting Bishop 2007-08 after the resignation of Victoria Matthews. It was the first time a woman diocesan bishop has followed another woman in the Anglican church.

2008- Suffragan Bishop Linda Nicholls, Toronto, (Canada)

2008- Assistant Bishop Revd Canon Barbara Darling, Melbourne (Australia)

2010 Suffragan Bishop Diane M. Jardine Bruce, Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles (USA)

2010 Suffragan Bishop Mary D. Glasspool , Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles (USA)
First openly gay bishop the diocese.

The church of Scotland (Presbyterian)

The Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The British Sovereign's personal representative to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (the Kirk), reflecting the Church's role as the national church of Scotland, and the Sovereign's role as protector and member of that Church. While the General Assembly is meeting, the Lord High Commissioner is treated as if a Regent. By custom, he or she is addressed as "Your Grace

1970 Rt Hon Margaret Herbison

1994 and 1995 Lady Marion Anne Fraser

1996 The Princess Royal (HRH Princess Anne)

Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

2004 Alison Elliot
Elder and the first woman to be Moderator and first non-minister to be Moderator since 16th century.

2007 Moderator Sheilagh M. Kesting
An ordained Minister and Secretary of the Committee on Ecumenical Relations

Evangelican-Lutheran

Around 1979 President-Superintendent Marie-Louise Caron of Eglise de la Confession d'Augsbourg d'Alsace et de Lorraine (France)

1992- Maria Jepsen, Landesbischöfin von Hamburg (Germany)

1992- April Ulring Larson, Minnesota United Lutheran Church of America (USA)
Later of La Crosse Area

1993-2006 Rosemarie Køhn, Hamar, Norway

1995- Lise-Lotte Gauger Rebel, Helsingør (Elsinore), Denmark

1995- Sofie Bodil Louise Lisbeth Petersen, Grønland, Denmark (Bispokeqaarfik Kalaallit Nunaat or the Bishop of Greenland)

1995- The Rev. Andrea F. DeGroot-Nesdahl, South Dakota

1996-2007 Christina Odenberg, Lund, Sweden

1998- Caroline Krook, Stockholm, Sweden
She was Domprovst (Dean of the Cathedral  of Stockholm) 1990-98.

1999-10 Margot Kässmann, Hannover, Germany
2009-10 President of the federation of Protestant church bodies called Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland

1999- Bärbel Wartenberg-Potter, Holstein-Lübeck, Germany

2002- Cynthia Halmarson, Saskatchewan Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

2002-  Marie C. Jerge, Upstate New York Synod (USA)

2002- Wilma S. Kucharek, Slovak Zion Synod (USA)

2003- Laila Riksaasen Dahl, Tunsberg, Norway

2003- Elisabeth Dons Christensen, Ribe, Denmark
In the second round the other candidate was Provst Marianne Christiansen. Elisabeth Dons is (b. 1944-)

2004- Victoria Cortés Rodríguez, Nicaragua
She is vice-president of the World Council of Lutheran Churches.

2005-  Helga Haugland Byfuglien, Borg, Norway

2006- Antje Jackelén, Lund, Sweden
Pastor and Professor at the Lutheran University in Chicargo until her election. (b. 1955-).

2006- Solveig Fiske, Hamar, Norway
Elected in succession to Norway's first female Bishop, Rosemarie Køhn.

2006- Claire Schenot Burkat, Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

2006- Elaine Sauer, Manitoba/Northwestern Ontario Synod in Canada

2007- Jessica Crist, Montana Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

2007- National Bishop Rev. Susan Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

2007- Antje Jackelén, Lund (Sweden)

2008- Ingeborg Midttømme, Møre, Norway

2009- Jana Jeruma-Grinberga, the Lutheran Church in Great Britain

2009- President of the Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en Venezuela Rev. Guillermina Chaparro

2009- Ilse Junkermann, Evangelical Church in Central Germany (Evangelische Kirche in Mitteldeutschland)

2009- Eva Brunne, Stockholm
She is married to another woman.

2010- Irja Askola, Helsinki

Reformed 

1985- Superintendent Magda Szabo, Tszáninnen, Hungary

1994- Superintendent Gertraud Knoll, Burgenland, Austria

1995- Luise Müller, Salzburg/Tirol, Austria

1999- Jana Silerova, Olomock, The Hussite Church of Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic

Other Christian Churches

1918-? Senior Bishop Alma White, The Pillar of Five (USA)

1929-46 Archibishop Antonina Izabela Wiłucka of Catholic Church of the Maravites in Poland
1940-46 Acting Head of the Church

1934-39 General Evangeline Cory Booth, Salvation Army

1940-46 Bishop Antonina Maria Izabella Wiłucka-Kowalska of Catholic Church of the Maravites in Poland
She was also known as Archpriestess of the the Polish Catholic Church of the Mariavites-Felicjanów Group, and lived (1890-1946).

1962- Bishop Tau Rosamonde Miller, Gnostic Church in France

1969 Bishop Mary E. Jackson, Mount Sinai Holy Churches (USA)
She was the fourth female leader of the church, which was founded by bishop Ida Robinson. (b. 1881)

1972-73 President of the Congregetional Federation Viscountess Stansgate, United Kingdom
Wife of Wedgwood Been, MP, mother of the former Labour Leader, Tony Benn. She lived (1897-1994).

1976-84 Bishop Helene Seymour of the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch-Malabar Rite in Los Angeles (USA)
1984-2003 Archibishop
She lived (1926-2003)

1976 Bishop The Rev. Diana Stewart of the Detroit District of the Black Christian National Church
Barbara Martin also bishop.

1980-86 Archibishop Meri Louise Spruit of the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch-Malabar Rite in USA
1986-2004 Ecumenical Matriarch of the West and Matriarch of the Church of Antioch (with equal rights, powers, and responsiblities)
2004- Matriarch Emeritus

1982 Bishop Vivian Barcynski of the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch-Malabar Rite of Diocese of St. Paul in Minnesota (USA)
Latero Co-founder of the Paracletian Catholic Church

1985- Presiding Bishop Most Rev. Martha Theresa of New Order of Glastonbury (USA)
Her orignal name is Martha Jo Mohring Shultz.

1986-93 General Eva Burrows, World Salvation Army

1989-92 Bishop The Rev. Barbara Gray-Burke, Southern Baptist Faith (Trinidad and Tobago)
1992- Archbishop (The Most Rev)
She was appointed Reverend Mother in 1975 and appointed independent senator 1995-2001. 

1992-2002 Archbishop and the Matriarch of the Church Ellen Watters of the The Free Church of Antioch (USA)

1992-2002 Bishop Michelina T. Foster of the The Free Church of Antioch (USA)
2002- Archbishop and the Matriarch of the Church

1996- Bishop Dr. Katakshamma Paul Rajibo of Bhadrachalamn, The Good Sameritan Evangelical-Lutheran Church of India
Also President of Southern Indian Church

1997- Abbess Superior Paulette R. Brown, the International Communion of the Holy Christian Orthodox Church (USA)and Overseer of Ministries in India, South America, Africa, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago
Co-Founder and Overseer of Mt. Zion Full Gospel Cathedral, Stafford, Virginia

1997-2003 Regional Elder Cecilia Eggleston of the of the Metropolitan Community Churches in the European Region
2003-06 Coordinating Elder of the African Region

Before 1998- Regional Elder Arlene Ackerman of the of the Metropolitan Community Churches in Canada (Manitoba and Nunavut), and the U.S. States of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas (Eastern), and Wisconsin, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad, Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands and the U.S. States of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, the District of Columbia (Washington, DC).

1998-2000 Bishop Nelinda Primavera-Briones, United Church of Christ, Philippines.

1998-2009 Bishop Margaret Benson–Idahosa of the Church of God Mission (CGM), Nigeria
2009- Archbishop and leader of the Church.

2000- Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, of the 13th District African Methodist Episcopal Church (Tennessee and Kentucky and also in charge of Swaziland, Botswana, Mozambique and Leshoto)
2005-06 President of the Council of Bishops of the AME

Around 2000- Archbishop Monica Randoo, Judeah Spiritual Baptist Church (The Caribbean)

Around 2000- Bishop Margaret Wanjiru Kariuki of the Jesus is Alive Ministry (Kenya)
Famous Tele-evangalist of the Country.

2003- Leader of the Baptist Society Karin Wiborn, Sweden
Earlier Berit Karlsson was leader of the Church.

2003- Regionary Bishop Elizabeth Stuart, the Liberal Catholic Church International, Province of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

2003- Regional Elder Diane Fisher of the Metropolitan Community Churches in Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Eastern Canada (Baffin Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec), Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Tajekistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United States of America (Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia), Uzbekistan, Vojdovina.

2003- Regional Elder Lillie Brock of the Metropolitan Community Churches in Western Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories) , and the U.S. States of Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas (Northern)

2004- Bishop Diana Afua Adjartey, Kingdom of God Mission International (KOGMI) (Italy)
A Ghanian she is founder and General Overseer of the church and she was appointed by members of the Calvary Crystal International

2004- Bishop Carol P. Vaccariello, Independent Catholic Church in Ohio (USA)
She founded Ordo Hagia Sophia, the Order of Holy Wisdom, an egalitarian Catholic Order of men and women.

2004- Bishop Carolyn Jackson Tyler-Guidry, The African Methodist Episcopal Church (USA) and Presiding Prelate of the 16th Episcopal district of the AME Church, comprising Suriname, Guyana, the Windward Islands, the Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba and London, England.
200. Bishop of the Eighth Episcopal District (Louisiana and Mississippi)
First female Presiding elder in the Fifth Episcopal District of the AME Church (Missouri, Kansas-Nebraska, Colorado, California and the Pacific Northwest ) from 1994 and the second female bishop in the denomination. (b. 1937-).

2005- General Minister and President The Rev. Sharon Watkins, the Disciples of Christ in United States and Canada

2005- Bishop Beatrycze Szulgowicz of Catholic Church of the Maravites in Poland
The church is also known as the Polish Catholic Church of the Mariavites-Felicjanów Group

2005- General Superintendent Nina G. Gunter, the Church of Nazarene (USA)

2005- Presiding Bishop Patricia Davies, The Community Catholic Church of Canada
Until 2007 the church was known as Old Catholic Church of Canada

2006- Bishop Mother Mai Roberts, The Faith Healing Temple of Jesus Christ (Liberia)
Known as Mother Roberts, she is also member of the Episcopal Church. The church is part of the Metropolitan Church of the World. (b. 1921-).

2008- Mildred Bonnie Hines, First A.M.E. Zion Church in Los Angeles (USA)
The first female bishop elected to serve in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the first bishop elected from the West Coast.

2009- Bishop Faith Idahosa (female?) of the Church of God Mission (CGM), Nigeria

2010- Bishop Wendy Toon, The Baptist Church in the New Bedford, Massachusetts (USA)
She was concecrated by Dr. Jennifer Hightower of the Morning Star Baptist Church in Mattapan.

World Council of Churches

1975-83 President A.R. Jiagge (Ghana)

1983-91 President The Very Rev. Louis Wilson (Canada)

2006- Dame Dr. Mary Elizabeth Tanner (United Kingdom)

Other religious or church leaders

1732-43 Official Representative of the Herrnhut Bretheren Countess Erdmut Dorotea von Zinzendorf, Bohemia, Austria-Hungaria (Czech Republic)
From the time of her marriage to Reichsgraf Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf she had been in charge of all the financial and economic aspects of his attemt to create a pietistic community and she administered all the estates and manors.After he had been banned from Sachsen she took over the leadership (Ortsherrschaft) of Berthelsdorf and Herrnhut were officially transferred to her, she was lady of the estate of Oberlausitz and "House Mother" of the "Pilgergemeine" wich lived in exile with her husband. As the Official Representative she travelled to Denmark, Estonia (Livonia) and Russia. 1743 she withdrew to the private life because of health-problems. Born as Countess Reuß aus Ebersdorf, and lived (1700-56)

1886-1910 Pastor Mary Baker Glover Patterson Eddy, Christian Science (SA)
She lived (1821-1910)

1926-? Cardinal Lam Thi Tanh, Cao Dai (Caodaism) (Vietnam)
She was inwested as the highest woman dignitary of Caodaism, a religion founded the same year, which considers that the principal founders of religions are nothing more than successive reincarnations of the same entity, the Supreme God, in different times and in different places, and it mixes traditions and rituals from many religions. One woman was apparently appointed Honorary Pope by the founder of the religion.

1926-? Cardinal Nguyen Thi Hieu, Cao Dai (Caodaism) (Vietnam)
The Female Cardinal wields the same power as the Cardinals, but her authority extends only as far as the College of Women, without any involvement with the powers of the dignitaries of the College of Men. In their turn the latter must refrain from intruding on the power of the College of Women.

Adound 1926 Cardinal  The Venerable Lam Huong Thanh, Cao Dai (Caodaism) (Vietnam)

1926-? Principal Archbishop Nguyen Huong-Hieu, Caodaism (Vietnam)
The office-holder have got the same functions as their colleagues in the Men's College, except that they are only concerned with the women

1926-? Bishop  Nguyen Houng-Nhan, Cao Dai (Caodaism) (Vietnam)
Fulfills the same functions as do the Bishops of the Men's College, but the former are concerned only with the women.

1992-2005 Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Virginia Harris, Christian Science (USA)

1999-2000 and 2004- Chairperson of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee Bibi Jagir Kaur, Punjab (India)
The committee controlls all historic Sikh shrines and institutions in north India (the or SGPC) - has announced the dismissal of the head priest or jathedar Giani Puran Singh at the Golden Temple Complex in Amritsar

2005-08 Vice-chairperson of the Belgian Muslim Executive and Chairperson of the Flemish college of the executive Hacer Düzgün, Belgium
2008 Acting Chairperson (February-March)
2008- Chairperson

2005- Chairperson of the Board of Directors Mary Trammell, Christian Science (USA)

2008- Spokesperson of the Danish Muslim Society (Islamisk Trossamfund) Bettina Meisner

 
Last update 20.07.10