Emily Onyango

Onyango was born into a Christian family.{{cite web |last=Rodriguez |first=Sarah |date=20 March 2017 |title=Journey Into Priesthood: Egalitarian Women Making History |url=https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/article/mutuality-blog-magazine/journey-priesthood-egalitarian-women-making-history |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210403083650/https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/article/mutuality-blog-magazine/journey-priesthood-egalitarian-women-making-history |archive-date=April 3, 2021 |access-date=July 24, 2022 |publisher=CBE International }} Onyango has a Bachelor of Divinity from Saint Paul's United Theological College in Limuru (1983) and a Master's degree from the Asian Centre of Theological Studies. She completed a PhD in history from the University of Wales in 2006, where she worked under John M. Lonsdale on the history of women's education in Kenya. Her thesis was titled "Luo women's negotiation of mission education : a critical analysis of Anglican women in Nyanza, Kenya from 1895".{{cite thesis|url=https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.428385|title=Luo women's negotiation of mission education : a critical analysis of Anglican women in Nyanza, Kenya from 1895|first=Emily Awino|last=Onyango|publisher=University of Wales|year=2006}} She also has a certificate in ecumenism from the Ecumenical Institute of Graduate Studies in Geneva.

Onyango was a lay reader at St Stephen's Cathedral in Kisumu before being appointed as a deacon in 1984. She was the second woman to be ordained a priest in the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) in 1986.{{cite web|url=https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2021/01/canon-emily-awino-onyango-becomes-first-female-anglican-bishop-in-east-and-central-africa.aspx|date=18 January 2021|accessdate=5 February 2021|publisher=Anglican Communion New Service|title=Canon Emily Awino Onyango becomes first female Anglican bishop in east & central Africa}}{{Cite web |title=Rev. Canon Dr Emily Awino Onyango accepts new Anglican leadership role |url=https://www.oikoumene.org/news/rev-canon-dr-emily-awino-onyango-accepts-new-anglican-leadership-role |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=World Council of Churches |language=en}} In February 2018, she was appointed a Canon in Bondo Diocese.

Onyango has taught at St John's School of Theology in Kokise, Siaya County and was lecturer, academic dean and Vice Principal at St Andrews College in Kabare. She is a lecturer in church history and theology at St Paul's University in Limuru. Onyango was Dean of Students at St Paul's from 2000 to 2002.{{Cite journal |last=Gathogo |first=Julius M. |date=2019-03-25 |title=Theological education in tropical Africa: An essay in honour of Christina Landman and a Kenyan perspective |url=https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/5194 |journal=HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies |volume=75 |issue=1 |doi=10.4102/hts.v75i1.5194 |issn=2072-8050|doi-access=free }} She is the chair of The Africa Centre for Biblical Equity, a Langham scholar and a founder of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians. She has written several articles and books on the history of theological education and women's education in Kenya.{{cite web|url=https://taarifa.rw/meet-bishop-onyango-first-female-anglican-bishop-in-east-central-africa/|title=Meet Bishop Onyango First Female Anglican Bishop In East & Central Africa|work=Taarifa|date=24 January 2021|accessdate=5 February 2021}}

Onyango was appointed assistant bishop of Bondo during the Synod of the Diocese of Bondo, Siaya County in January 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/evewoman/article/2001400085/rev-dr-emily-onyango-appointed-first-woman-bishop-of-the-anglican-church-of-kenya|title=Rev Dr Emily Onyango appointed first woman bishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya|first=Derrick|last=Oluoch|date=14 January 2021|accessdate=5 February 2021|work=Eve}} She is the first woman to hold the position of bishop in the ACK, after approval of a proposal to allow women to become bishops in 2013,{{cite web|url=https://www.citizenweekly.org/2021/1/14/history-made-emily-onyango-appointed-anglican-first-female-bishop/|title=HISTORY MADE AS EMILY ONYANGO IS APPOINTED AS ANGLICAN FIRST FEMALE BISHOP|first=Derrick|last=Kamau|date=14 January 2021|accessdate=5 February 2021|work=Citizen Weekly}} the first female Anglican bishop in east and central Africa,{{cite web|url=https://www.tuko.co.ke/399768-emily-onyango-anglican-church-appoints-female-bishop.html|title=Emily Onyango: Anglican Church appoints first female assistant bishop|first=Linda|last=Shiundu|publisher=Tuko|date=14 January 2021|accessdate=5 February 2021}} and the fourth on the African continent.{{cite web|url=https://anglican.ink/2021/01/26/appointment-of-women-bishop-in-kenya-challenged/|first=George|last=Conger|title=Appointment of women bishop in Kenya challenged|date=26 January 2021|accessdate=5 February 2021|work=Anglican Ink}} She will work with David Kodiah in training clergy, as well as initiatives focused on ending gender based violence and encouraging child empowerment.{{cite web|url=https://livingchurch.org/2021/01/21/anglican-church-of-kenya-names-first-female-bishop/|publisher=The Living Church|first=Jesse|last=Masai|title=UPDATE: Kenyan Female Bishop Election Challenged|date=21 January 2021|accessdate=5 February 2021}}{{cite web|title=Kenyan woman bishop to be first in East Africa|work=Church Times|date=22 January 2021|accessdate=5 February 2021|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2021/22-january/news/world/world-news-in-brief}} Speaking after her appointment, she said, "I am thankful to be asked to participate in a well-structured pastoral ministry focusing on marriage, family and gender issues, including empowerment of widows. I particularly expect us to offer hope for those shackled by gender-based violence."

Her appointment was challenged by six lay members of the synod, who argued Bishop Kodia had cajoled the synod into affirming her appointment and that the diocese was unable to afford an assistant bishop. A 2014 informal agreement of GAFCON put a moratorium on the ordination of women in certain provinces, however the Kenyan General Synod affirmed its support for women bishops in September 2019.

Onyango is married to Apollo Onyango, a retired school teacher, and they have two adult children.

• {{cite book|date=2003|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YTUFAQAACAAJ|publisher=Zapf Chancery|first=Emily|last=Onyango|title=For God and Humanity: 100 Years of St. Paul's United Theological College|isbn = 9789966974228}}
• {{cite book|title=Gender and Development: A History of Women's Education in Kenya|first=Emily Awino|last=Onyango|year=2018|publisher=Langham Publishing|isbn=9781783684908|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fXPnDwAAQBAJ}}

• {{cite journal|title=Single Parenthood: A challenge to the Christian understanding of family in Kenya|first=Emily A.|last=Onyango|journal=Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies|year=2002| url=https://doi.org/10.1177%2F026537880201900119|volume=19|issue=1|pages=80–82|doi=10.1177/026537880201900119|s2cid=149431286|url-access=subscription}}
• {{cite journal|title=The negative consequences of dowry payment on women and society|url=http://www.efogeinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/THE-NEGATIVE-CONSEQUENCES-OF-DOWRY-PAYMENT-ON-WOMEN-AND-THE-GENERAL-SOCIETY.pdf|journal=Priscilla Papers|year=2016|volume=30|issue=1|pages=1–4|first=Emily|last=Onyango}}
• {{cite web|title=Women Leaders Rising Up: A Case Study of the Anglican Church of Kenya 1844–1945|year=2016|first= Emily|last=Onyango|url=http://www.missiontheologyanglican.org/article/women-leaders-rising-up-a-case-study-of-the-anglican-church-of-kenya-1844---1945/|publisher=Mission Theology in the Anglican Communion}}
• {{cite web|title=The Challenge of Gender-Based Violence in Kenya and the Response of the Church|year=2017|first= Emily|last=Onyango|url=http://www.missiontheologyanglican.org/article/the-challenge-of-gender-based-violence-in-kenya-and-the-response-of-the-church/|publisher=Mission Theology in the Anglican Communion}}
• {{cite journal|title=The Impact of Education on Integral Development: A case study of early Missionary Education in Colonial|first=Emily|last=Onyango|url=http://www.journals.spu.ac.ke/index.php/test/article/viewFile/21/19|journal=African Multidisciplinary Journal of Research |volume=1|issue=1|pages=88–106}}
• {{cite journal|year=2019|title=Gender Equality in the East African Revival Movement|url=http://41.89.51.177/index.php/test/article/view/109 |first=Emily|last=Onyango|journal=African Multidisciplinary Journal of Research|volume=4|issue=1|pages=21–42}}

• Ordination of women in the Anglican Communion

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Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Alumni of the University of Wales

Category:21st-century Anglican bishops of the Anglican Church of Kenya

Category:Anglican bishops of Bondo

Category:Women Anglican bishops

Category:Kenyan women writers

Category:Kenyan historians