In a special convention framed in the context of the Eucharist, the Diocese of Olympia elected the Rev. Bavi Edna “Nedi” Rivera as its first bishop suffragan, making her the first Hispanic woman bishop and only the 12th woman bishop in the history of the denomination. The election, held at St. Mark’s Cathedral on May 8, took three ballots with Rivera holding a substantial lead among both clergy and lay people in the first two ballots.

When the election results were announced before the passing of the peace, Bishop Vincent Warner commented to the assembly, “I just want to put in perspective that this is the first suffragan elected in this diocese in 150 years, it is the first woman elected in this diocese, it is the first woman-of-color elected in this diocese and the first woman-of-color suffragan bishop who has a father who is a bishop. It is part of God’s history of God’s church.”

Rivera is the daughter of Victor Manuel Rivera who served as the Bishop of San Joaquin, Calif., from 1968 to 1988. She is presently serving as rector of St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in San Francisco. She was ordained a priest in 1979.

The diocese was in search of a bishop to lead the church in its efforts to expand ethnic ministries, evangelism and the work of faith formation. Rivera is a leader in youth work and a member of the clergy of color in the Diocese of California. She has done advanced study at the Vancouver School of Theology in parish revitalization.

The Episcopal Church was the first province in the Anglican Communion to ordain a woman as bishop when Barbara Harris was consecrated bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Massachusetts in February of 1989. Rivera becomes the 16th woman bishop in the history of the world-wide Anglican Communion of 70 million members.

The Rev. Nedi Rivera's consecration will take place at Seattle's St. Mark's Cathedral at 1 PM, January 22, 2005.

Bishop Suffragan-Elect Biography
Bishop Suffragan-Elect Responses to Search Committee Questions