Gayle Harris facts for kids

Gayle Elizabeth Harris (born February 12, 1951) is an American Episcopal bishop. She became a bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts in 2003. She took over from Barbara Harris (who was not related to her). This was a special moment because it was the first time in the Episcopal Church that one woman bishop was followed by another woman bishop.

Early Life and Education

Gayle Harris was born on February 12, 1951, in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. She went to Lewis & Clark College for her studies. Later, she attended the Church Divinity School of the Pacific. There, she earned a Master of Divinity degree, which is an advanced degree for religious leaders.

She also received honorary degrees later in her life. In 2002, she was given an honorary Doctor of Divinity from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific. She also received an honorary Doctor of Humanity from New England Law Boston.

Becoming a Religious Leader

Gayle Harris began her journey in the church in June 1981 when she became a deacon. A deacon is a person who helps the priest in church duties. In February 1982, she became a priest. A priest is a leader who can perform religious ceremonies.

She served in several churches early in her career:

• From 1982 to 1984, she worked at Grace Church Van Vorst in Jersey City, New Jersey.
• She also served at St. Philip's Church in Washington, D.C. during this time.
• In 1984, she became the priest-in-charge at Holy Communion Church in Washington, D.C..
• At the same time, she was also a member of the clergy at the famous Washington National Cathedral.

In 1992, she moved to Rochester, New York. There, she became the rector (the main priest) of St. Luke and St. Simon Cyrene's Church. She stayed in this role for ten years, until 2002.

Becoming a Bishop

On June 1, 2002, Gayle Harris was chosen to be the Suffragan Bishop of Massachusetts. A Suffragan Bishop is a bishop who helps the main bishop of a diocese (a church district). She was formally made a bishop on January 18, 2003. This special ceremony, called a consecration, took place at Trinity Church in Boston. Bishop Arthur Benjamin Williams Jr. led the ceremony.

As a bishop, she had important roles. She led the House of Bishops Pastoral Development Committee. She also helped organize the Episcopal Bishops of African Descent.

In 2022, Bishop Harris retired from her position as Suffragan Bishop of Massachusetts. However, she continued her work in the church. In April 2023, she became the Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia.

Learning from Experience

In 2018, Bishop Harris shared some stories she had heard. She later realized that she had accidentally told these stories as if she had seen them herself. She apologized for this, explaining that she had not checked if the stories were true before repeating them.

She said, "I now acknowledge that I reported stories which I had heard and unintentionally framed them as though I had personally witnessed the alleged events." She added, "I did not take the opportunity to verify these stories. ... I was ill-advised to repeat the stories without verification, and I apologize for doing so." This situation showed the importance of always checking facts and making sure information is accurate before sharing it.

See also

• List of Episcopal bishops of the United States