This week in Christian history: John Wesley rescued from fire, James MacDonald ousted

By Michael Gryboski, Editor Sunday, February 09, 2025

First female Episcopal bishop consecrated — Feb. 11, 1989

Barbara Harris, the first woman to be consecrated a bishop of The Episcopal Church, being interviewed in 1989. | Screengrab: YouTube/John Collins

This week marks the anniversary of when the Rev. Barbara Harris was consecrated the first female bishop of The Episcopal Church, specifically taking the role of a suffragan bishop.

Harris was installed in the assisting bishop position at a ceremony held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts, that was attended by approximately 8,000 people.

"I felt during the laying on of hands that I was part of the ongoing history of the church," Harris said at the time, as quoted by The Washington Post. "I felt a part of the apostolic succession at that moment."

Harris’ election was not without its critics, as many theologically conservative Episcopalians argued that her installation as bishop put the denomination at odds with proper church tradition.

According to the Post, the Rev. James Hopkinson Cupit Jr. of New York was among the dissidents at the time, believing that the consecration had a "divisive, sectarian nature” that was “contrary to the unbroken tradition of 2,000 years of apostolic order."