Bishop Audrey Bronson Chosen as First Female Leader of Black Clergy

Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity has chosen Bishop Audrey Bronson (NYTS, D.Min ’93) as the first female president in the organization’s 25-year history.

Bronson, pastor of the Sanctuary Church of the Open Door in West Philadelphia, will complete the term of the Rev. Ellis I. Washington, who has been reassigned to Boston by the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

In 1975, she began her congregation, Sanctuary Church of the Open Door. The church operates a preschool; a 37-unit apartment complex for the elderly; a family resource center; and a youth sports program.

Article adapted from The Philadelphia Inquirer, Staff Writer: David O’Reilly, June 19, 2009