When the presiding bishop of the U.S. Episcopal church talks, people lean forward to listen — and not just because of her low decibel level.

Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, the former bishop of Nevada, took over leadership of the U.S. arm of the Anglican church last year at a particularly beleaguered time in its history, when struggles over the ordination of gay leaders — including Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire — set off a firestorm that continues to threaten its global cohesion.

At a recent meeting of prelates, or leaders, in Tanzania late last month, Jefferts Schori talked about the American denomination taking a "pause" before moving forward on sexual orientation issues.

At a quiet meeting yesterday at St. Peter's, near St. Andrew's Cathedral, she talked about the "noisy exceptions."

"It isn't really everywhere, it's a small piece of the denomination that's in such an uproar, a tiny piece," said Jefferts Schori, who has expressed support for gay clergy and blessing same-sex unions. "... They're developing allies in other parts of the communion who think they're in the same place theologically and politically."

At the Tanzania meeting, a deadline of Sept. 30 was given to the Episcopal arm to state explicitly that it will not authorize blessings for same-sex couples and will bar ordination of gay bishops.

"We've been asked to pause, so people see this as a retreat and I cannot yet say what the response will be from the prelates," she said, noting the House of Bishops meets later this month.

Jefferts Schori is here to preside over today's ordination of Bob Fitzpatrick, who will become the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Hawai'i, taking over for retiring Bishop Richard Chang.

"It's such a great joy to watch a healthy transition," said Jefferts Schori, who will oversee only the third such ordination since she officially took the top spot in November. "We wish it were always that way."

It's not her first trip here. Jefferts Schori, the first woman to lead the Episcopal diocese, arrived in Hawai'i more than 30 years ago as a graduate student on an oceanography cruise. Her background includes oceanography degrees as well as seminary degrees; and her daughter is a pilot in the Air Force.

She recalls how she made the leap to consider switching from oceanographer to Episcopal priest: "Three people asked in span of a week. It was just an odd enough experience that I listened."

When she later became a priest, she had older women in the church tell her, "We don't believe in women priests, but you're OK."

"I think people most often change by incarnational encounters," she said.

Jefferts Schori also talked about the legacy she'd like to leave when her nine-year term is up: "Church increasingly involved in the mission," she said, leaning forward.

"That's our task. If we're engaged in battles royal, we're probably missing a significant chunk of our mission. It's a distraction. Inclusion of gay and lesbian Christians is a major issue, but it's not all of our mission. It's a piece of it. Some people want to see it as the defining issue as to whether or not someone can be an Episcopalian. It's not. It's bigger than that."

She talked about the sea change in the kind of acceptance that gay and lesbians have discovered, compared with previous generations: "This will get sorted out in God's time."

Jefferts Schori leaves this afternoon for South Africa.