The Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, president-elect of the Episcopal Church's House of Deputies, said on Tuesday just after her election that she will seek to foster the leadership of a more diverse set of people within the church during her three-year tenure.

Rev. Jennings, an eight-time deputy from the Diocese of Ohio, was nominated for the position along with Martha Bedell Alexander, a deputy from North Carolina, and the Rev. Frank Logue, a deputy from Georgia.

Rev. Jennings said in a statement she was "honored" to have been chosen by hear colleagues in the House of Deputies, and expressed gratitude to people across the church who expressed confidence in her.

"I believe that God is calling me to work with leaders across the church to change the way we do business in the next triennium" she said. "For the Episcopal Church to matter in the 21st century, we have to find ways to move forward together.

She also looked ahead to next three years as president of the House of Bishops.

"I intend to foster the leadership of young people, people of color, and others who have not always been at the table. I have strong relationships with many bishops, and I look forward to working with the House of Bishops for wholeness, reconciliation and justice that will benefit the entire Episcopal Church," she said.

Rev. Jennings was ordained in 1979 and was born and raised in the Diocese of Central New York.
She was nominated by the Rev. Lowell Grisham, a deputy from Arkansas who told Episcopal News ahead of the election that her "breadth of knowledge about the church is awesome … she knows how to get things done."

"[She] has a huge heart, a heart for wholeness, justice and reconciliation," he added. "She is working toward the kingdom of God at all times, and she wants all of us there together."

Rev. Jennings left the staff of CREDO, a wellness program of the Church Pension Fund, last month.

She had recently completed a six-year term on the denomination's Executive Council and is co-chair of the General Convention's Committee on Structure.

She is also a clergy member of the church's delegation to the Anglican Consultative Council, the communion's main policy-making body.