Josh Meltzer | The Roanoke Times

The Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori (right), the Episcopalians’ Presiding Bishop, signs Holland Crooke’s T-shirt at Christ Episcopal Church in Roanoke on Saturday. Jefferts Schori had addressed about 400 people as part of a church council meeting.

Calling for economic evangelism and political advocacy, the Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori, elected leader of the nation's 2.7 million Episcopal Church members, roused an audience of her denomination's regional leaders in Roanoke on Saturday.

"Pester your legislators" to be more aggressive in battling poverty and hunger across the globe, urged Jefferts Schori. "Annoy them."

The 53-year-old former oceanographer, who is said by religious scholars to be the only female top-ranked official of a major denomination -- except for Queen Elizabeth II, whose crown makes her head of the Church of England -- spoke with the conviction of a street preacher.

"When I was a kid I remember being taught that the world's food problems would be solved by protein from the ocean. T'aint going to happen," said Jefferts Schori, who before being ordained a priest in 1994 had a career in science that included a stint with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

As the Episcopalians' Presiding Bishop, essentially their chief pastor, the New York City-based leader has been outspoken about her belief that science and religion can comfortably coexist.

And Jefferts Schori urges a roll-up-your-sleeves brand of Christianity that's big on persuading church members to volunteer in community service, dig deeper into their pockets to furnish food for the world's impoverished and nudge politicians to provide more help for the hungry.

Her activist message resonated with Southwest Virginia pastors such as Vince Carroll, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Richlands. "She reminds me of something the Apostle Paul said, 'The poor will always be with you.' But you damn well better do something to help them out."

Jefferts Schori, addressing a crowd of about 400 at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, reeled off dozens of statistics as a call to action. "Each night, a billion people in the world go to bed hungry -- a billion."

An affinity for numbers runs in the bishop's family. Since 1979, she has been married to Richard Miles Schori, a theoretical mathematician, who is now retired. They have one child, a 26-year-old daughter who is an Air Force first lieutenant piloting Airborne Warning and Control System planes in the Middle East.

Jefferts Schori's speech was officially a part of the 89th annual council meeting of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, which covers about 12,000 church members in 57 parishes from Staunton to Martinsville. In the midst of routine business matters such as discussing budget proposals and assorted resolutions such as supporting a disaster plan for each parish, Jefferts Schori hammered away at the church's worldwide responsibilities.

There's nothing esoteric about her take on theology. "It's refreshing to hear her put it in very straightforward terms," said Deborah Hunley, rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Roanoke's Old Southwest neighborhood. "What we are as a church is defined by the good we actually do for others."

Later in the day, Jefferts Schori joined a group of about 180 youths at St. John's Episcopal Church to help pack dry meals for shipment to Third World nations.

To be sure, one afternoon's preparation of meals won't go far among the Earth's underfed masses, but Jefferts Schori recognizes the importance of symbols. She is one, after all, embodying a new era among Episcopalians.

Elected to her national post on June 18, 2006, from a slate of seven nominees, Jefferts Schori was a decided underdog. At the time, she was the Episcopal bishop in Nevada, a state where many of the denomination's churches are relatively small. "I was surprised," she said of her win, which came on the fifth ballot.

The victory brought her a nine-year term. Now, after 18 months in office, she said the job's biggest surprise has been media interest in her views. For example, soon after she was elected, Time magazine interviewed her to ask 10 questions, including her views on the divisive issue of gay bishops.

But while Jefferts Schori is influential, Episcopal dioceses are largely autonomous. Unlike in the Roman Catholic Church, local bishops don't report to her.

But she nevertheless sets the tone for the church's direction, and that has been decidedly away from internal initiatives such as the ordination of bishops in favor of outreach. In her address, she barely mentioned the traditional church mission of saving souls. Instead, she zeroed in on the need for "social justice ministry," specifically to rally to such causes as improving health care, education and job opportunities. Further, she encouraged church leadership to press politicians into helping Third World nations develop economically -- plugging debt reduction and fair trade.

But the church will be more persuasive with politicians when it comes to helping the world's poor if congregations can point to ponying up more of their own money.

With some economists predicting recession, Episcopal leaders such as the Rev. Phyllis Spiegel, rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Christiansburg, are well aware that many members are feeling financially stretched. Still, she said, there's room for sacrifice by cutting back on such little luxuries as ice cream and gourmet coffee. "If one person has an epiphany, and decides to do more, they may influence another person to change. Action leads to action."