The Right Rev Carol Gallagher, a former assisting bishop in the Diocese of Newark and a member of the Cherokee Nation, has accepted an invitation to be a guest of the Ripon and Leeds diocese, along with Bishop Larry Benfield of Arkansas and Bishop Russell Jacobus of Fond du Lac in Wisconsin.

The three bishops of the Episcopal Church of the United States will stay in the diocese for six days, ahead of the ten- yearly Lambeth Conference for Anglican bishops which begins in Canterbury on July 16.

In addition, the diocese will be welcoming two bishops from its link dioceses in Sri Lanka. Bishop Duleep de Chickera is from the Diocese of Colombo, and Bishop Kumara Illangasinghe will be coming from the Diocese of Kurunagala, both partner dioceses of Ripon and Leeds.

Bishop Carol, who is married with three children, made the news when she was ordained as a bishop suffragan of the Diocese of West Virginia in 2002. She credits her mother, Elizabeth Walkingstick, a member of the Cherokee nation, and her father, the Rev Donald Theobald, as being the models for her life in the ministry. Speaking of her Native American roots, she said: “I have always honoured where I have come from.”

Bishop Larry, 52, said he was delighted to be making a return trip to Ripon and Leeds. He became bishop of the diocese of Arkansas last year at a ceremony in Bill Clinton’s home city of Little Rock. “I have only been to Ripon once on a trip about 25 years ago when my mother and I were motoring through England. I look forward to spending more time in the area than I was then able to do,” he said.

The bishops will stay with senior staff of the diocese and during their time here will visit Fountains Abbey, be welcomed at Ripon Cathedral with a service of evensong and a reception, and will preach at various churches.