Michael Curry (bishop)
| The Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry |
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|---|---|
| Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America | |
Curry wearing a miter and vestments and holding a crozier
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| Province | The Episcopal Church  |
| Diocese | Non-territorial/non-metropolitical |
| See | Washington, D.C. |
| Installed | November 1, 2015[1] |
| Term ended | Incumbent |
| Predecessor | Katherine Jefferts Schori |
| Other posts | Bishop of North Carolina |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | December 9, 1978 |
| Consecration | June 17, 2000 by Robert Hodges Johnson, Bishop of Western North Carolina |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 13, 1953 Chicago, Illinois |
| Nationality | United States |
| Spouse | Sharon |
| Children | 2 |
Michael Bruce Curry (born March 13, 1953) is the 27th and current Presiding Bishop of the The Episcopal Church. Elected in 2015, he is the first African American to serve in that capacity. He was previously bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina.
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Early life and education
Both sides of Curry's family were descended from slaves and sharecroppers in North Carolina and Alabama.[2] He was born in Chicago and attended public schools in Buffalo, New York.[3] He graduated with high honors from Hobart College in Geneva, New York, in 1975. He received the Master of Divinity degree in 1978 from the Yale Divinity School. He has also studied at The College of Preachers, Princeton Theological Seminary, Wake Forest University, the Ecumenical Institute at St. Mary's Seminary, and the Institute of Christian Jewish Studies. He has received honorary degrees from the School of Theology-Sewanee, Virginia Theological Seminary, Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and the Episcopal Divinity School.[4]
Priesthood
Curry was ordained deacon in June 1978 and priest in December 1978.[5] He served initially as deacon-in-charge and subsequently as rector of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church (1978–1982) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; then as rector of St. Simon of Cyrene Episcopal Church in Lincoln Heights, Ohio (1982–1988). He served as rector of St. James' Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland (1988–2000). In his three parish ministries, Curry participated in crisis response pastoral care, the founding of ecumenical summer day camps for children, preaching missions, creation of networks of family day care providers, and the brokering of investment in inner city neighborhoods. He inspired a $2.5 million restoration of the St. James' church building after a fire.[6]
Episcopal career
Curry was elected eleventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina on February 11, 2000, and consecrated bishop on June 17, 2000, at Duke Chapel on the campus of Duke University in Durham.[7] The consecrators were Robert Hodges Johnson, J. Gary Gloster, and Barbara C. Harris.
As a diocesan bishop, he served on the board of directors of the Alliance for Christian Media [6] and chaired the board of Episcopal Relief and Development.[8] He also had a national preaching and teaching ministry and was a frequent speaker at services of worship and conferences around the country.
Presiding Bishop
On May 1, 2015, the Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church nominated Curry and three other bishops (Thomas E. Breidenthal, Ian T. Douglas, and Dabney Tyler Smith) for election as the 27th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church.[9] The election took place on June 27, 2015, at the church's 78th General Convention in Salt Lake City.[10] He was elected on the first ballot with 121 of 174 votes cast.[11]
Curry formally took office on November 1, 2015, All Saints Day, with an investiture ceremony in the Washington National Cathedral.[12] The ceremony included readings in Spanish and Native American languages.[13][14]
Personal life
Curry and his wife Sharon (née Clement) have two adult daughters.[15]
Works
Curry's works include:
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References
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- ↑ Curry 2015, p. 2.
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| Episcopal Church (USA) titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | 27th Presiding Bishop November 1, 2015–present |
Incumbent |
