The Rev. Mary Glasspool, 55, became the first openly partnered lesbian to be elected as an assistant bishop in the church, a move that continues to press a worldwide debate over how to reconcile homosexuality with Christianity.
“We ought not be surprised when gay and lesbian Christians are elected to leadership roles in a church that believes in the inclusive love of God,” the Right Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, bishop of the Ohio Diocese, said in a prepared statement following Glasspool’s election.
Hollingsworth was instrumental in adopting a gay-friendly resolution at the church’s international convention last July. The resolution effectively lifted a moratorium on electing openly gay bishops.
The moratorium was put in place following the election in 2003 of an openly gay, partnered man, Gene Robinson, as a bishop in New Hampshire.