Rev. Yehiel Curry, 53, has been named the first Black Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Curry succeeds the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, who served the ELCA for 12 years. She was the first woman to lead the denomination.
“It hasn’t really hit me yet,” Curry told The Associated Press. “The fact that you’re a first.”
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 2.7 million members in more than 8,400 worshipping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region.
Curry hopes to follow Eaton’s example when it comes to representation in the ELCA, which is more than 95% white. Eaton is credited with transforming the ELCA Conference of Bishops from a majority of men to a majority of women.
“I think her presence mattered,” Curry said. “And I’m hopeful that if presence matters, we will start to see more and more leaders of colour.”
He was elected at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly on 30 July in Phoenix. His six-year term officially began on 1 October.
Before serving as Presiding Bishop, Curry served as Bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod from 2019, a mission developer from 2009 to 2012, and pastor of Shekinah Chapel in Riverdale, Illinois, from 2012 to 2019.
Curry received a Bachelor of Arts from Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, and a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC).
According to The Washington Times, Curry’s goals during his tenure include exploring ways for the ELCA to become a more connected church, from local congregations up through the hierarchy. He also wants the ELCA to continue its commitment to being a welcoming and thriving church.