Sarah Fisher installed as first openly lesbian Episcopal bishop in the South
The Rev. Sarah Fisher has been installed as bishop of an Episcopal Church diocese, reportedly becoming the first woman in a same-sex relationship to be elevated to that position in the southern United States.
Fisher, who is in a same-sex union with the Rev. Mandy Brady, was installed as the ninth bishop of the North Carolina-based Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina on Saturday.
Although there have been other openly gay bishops in The Episcopal Church, a spokesperson for the denomination told The Christian Post on Wednesday that, to her knowledge, “Bishop Fisher is the first openly lesbian Episcopal Church bishop for a diocese based in the South.”
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe served as chief consecrator at the service, while Bishop Robert Wright of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta preached at the ceremony, the Episcopal News Service reported.
Last November, Fisher was elected bishop on the third ballot, receiving 36 votes among clergy and 70 votes among laity, achieving the necessary simple majority for the election.
According to the diocese, the other nominees were the Rev. Brian Cannaday, rector of St. Christopher Episcopal Church in League City, Texas, and the Rev. Caleb Lee, rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Wilmington, North Carolina. Lee opted to withdraw his name from consideration following the second ballot.
Fisher, 54, was ordained in 2005 in the Diocese of Atlanta, having earned a Bachelor of Arts from Agnes Scott College and a Master’s of Divinity from The General Theological Seminary.
At the time of her election as bishop, Fisher was serving as rector of St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, a congregation based in Marietta, Georgia. She succeeded Bishop Rob Skirving, who retired after 11 years of service.
During the selection process for bishop, Fisher was asked by the diocese to describe her “approach to ministry in a divided nation and world.”
“I serve a very purple congregation,” she responded. “We are not unanimous in politics, or in how much noise children should make in church, or what brand of coffee to serve. We are united in our desire to see, know and serve the Risen Christ.”
“Getting proximate to those who differ from us is vital to seeing the inherent dignity and divinity that dwells in every person. It is easy to hate an idea or a stereotype or a strongly held belief. It is harder to hate the neighbor you know, when you can recognize the light of Christ within them.”
In 2003, the Rev. Gene Robinson garnered controversy when he became the first openly gay bishop in The Episcopal Church, becoming head of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire.
Robinson’s election prompted large numbers of theologically conservative congregations to leave the theologically liberal denomination, which also led to years of litigation across the U.S. over who rightfully owned various church properties and assets.
The conservative exodus contributed to what has been a years-long decline in membership for the mainline denomination. In 2006, The Episcopal Church had approximately 2.1 million members. By 2023, however, that number had dropped to approximately 1.54 million.
