The Nation : Episcopal Panels Back Woman Bishop

The first woman named to become a bishop in the Episcopal Church cleared a major hurdle to the position when she received the necessary votes from church committees around the country. Although current bishops also must confirm the Rev. Barbara C. Harris’ election, their approval is expected, said a church spokesman. Harris, 58, an Episcopal priest in Philadelphia, passed the key milestone when an envelope containing the 60th vote of support for her arrived at the Boston diocese from one of the 118 eight-member standing committees. The vote, which gave her the necessary majority from the standing committees, was “the only serious obstacle to her consecration,” said James Solheim, spokesman for the Episcopal Diocese of Boston. The Boston diocese named Harris suffragan, or assistant bishop, on Sept. 24, 1988.