Kisumu will on Sunday May 11, witness a mass of firsts as a former dean of cathedrals officially becomes the first bishop of a newly-created Maseno East Diocese.
The mass will be presided over by the newly-elected Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop Jackson ole Sapit.
Maseno East Anglican Church (ACK) in January welcomed Cannon Joshua Owiti as their new bishop in a mass also attended by outgoing Archbishop, Eliud Wabukala.
The special mass will be held at the St Stephen’s Church in Kisumu.
Unification of the Anglican Church leadership is expected to dominate the mass with calls for speedy resolution to the standoff between the opposition and the IEBC.
Mr Owiti who has been serving as the dean of cathedrals in Kisumu beat three contestants to clinch the sacred seat following a two-thirds majority win in the first voting and sailing through a vetting process.
“We should remain united as we all have to take part in the building of the church. Let’s join hands as we embark on evangelism and investment for the diocese,” said Mr Owiti.
Bishops Joseph Kariuki, Julius Wanyoike, Julius Karani (Murang’a South) and Rev John Miano Mwangi (Mt Kenya Central) oversaw the peaceful election in Ahero.
Bishops provide the leadership for the Anglican Communion, in accordance with episcopal institution.
All bishops, constituting a worldwide College of Bishops, are considered to be equal in orders.
However, bishops have a variety of different responsibilities, and in these some bishops are more senior than others.
All bishops, of diocesan rank and below, are styled the Right Reverend; more senior bishops and archbishops are styled as the Most Reverend.
Most bishops oversee a diocese, some are consecrated to assist diocesan bishops in large or busy dioceses, and some are relieved of diocesan responsibilities so they can minister more widely (especially primates who concentrate on leading a member church of the Communion).
A few member churches of the Anglican Communion ordain women as bishops, many more have prepared the legislation for women to become bishops but have not yet ordained a woman to the episcopate (see Ordination of women in the Anglican Communion).