The Area Bishop for North Africa, the Rt. Rev. Samy Fawzy Shehata, has been elected Bishop Coadjutor of the Anglican Dicoese of Egypt.
A post on the diocese’s Facebook page reported Bishop Shehata was elected on 22 April 2020 by the diocese synod in Cairo. The post quoted the Rt. Rev. Mounir Anis, Bishop of Egypt, saying Bishopy Shehata “received 73.49 per cent of the votes cast.” Dr. Anis, who turned 70 last month and is to retire, said: “the election of Bishop Samy is very good news and we are all encouraged”.
Educated in the Middle East and in the UK where he earned a doctorate at the University of Birmingham in 2002, Bishop Shehata was dean of the Alexandria School of Theology and St Mark’s pro-cathedral in Alexandria at the time of his consecration as area bishop for North Africa on 27 Feb 2017. He has played an active role in the Global South Anglican movment and served on its Study Group on Enhancing Ecclesial Responsibility.
The Primate of the ACNA, the Most Rev. Foley Beach, who served as one of Bishop Shehata’s co-consecrators in 2017 told Anglican Ink: “Bishop Samy is a true man of God with a heart and compassion for the truth and for God’s people. He has been a tremendous partner in Gospel ministry, and I look forward to serving with him as he takes on this new role of service in God’s Church.”
Currently a diocese of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, the Diocese of Egypt is scheduled to form its own Province of Alexandria later this year with dioceses in Egypt, North Africa, the Horn of Africa and Gambella.
