Posts in Bishop Curry
From Lament to Action: Bishop Curry on Gun Violence and Advent Hope
From Lament to Action: Bishop Curry on Gun Violence and Advent Hope

Following a deadly shooting at Brown University that claimed two lives and injured many others, Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry calls the church to prayer, lament, and faithful public action. The statement names gun violence as a symptom of deeper brokenness in our common life and rejects its normalization in U.S. society.

Drawing on the ELCA’s social message on gun violence, Bishop Curry urges evidence-based, life-saving measures alongside sustained advocacy and accompaniment. In this Advent season, the statement affirms that God meets us in suffering and calls the church to work for justice, compassion, and peace. Read the full statement and prayer from Bishop Curry.

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ELCA, Bishop CurryBrian FlatgardBishop Curry Letters, Church and Society, Ecumenical and Inter-Religious RelationsComment
Standing with Our Jewish Neighbors After the Bondi Beach Attack
Standing with Our Jewish Neighbors After the Bondi Beach Attack

Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry has issued a statement following a deadly terror attack on the Jewish community gathered for a Hanukkah menorah lighting at Bondi Beach in Australia. Writing on the Third Sunday of Advent, Bishop Curry condemns antisemitism, reaffirms the ELCA’s commitment to opposing anti-Jewish hatred, and calls the church to concrete acts of solidarity, love, and peace with our Jewish neighbors.

Grounded in God’s irrevocable covenant and the hope of Advent, the statement invites prayer and faithful action as an antidote to fear and violence. Read the full statement and prayer from Bishop Curry.

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ELCA, Bishop Curry, Global ChurchBrian FlatgardBishop Curry Letters, Church and Society, Ecumenical and Inter-Religious RelationsComment
ELCA Marks 10 Years Since Paris Climate Accords with Call to Courageous Action
ELCA Marks 10 Years Since Paris Climate Accords with Call to Courageous Action

On the tenth anniversary of the Paris Climate Accords, Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry offers a powerful reflection on the church’s call to care for God’s creation. Naming this moment as kairos—a time of crisis and hope—the Bishop urges the ELCA to deepen its commitment to stewardship, sustainability, and action alongside those most vulnerable to climate impacts. He also lifts up the leadership of young adults and Indigenous communities, and commends the ELCA’s social message Earth’s Climate Crisis. Read the full message from the ELCA.

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Bishop Curry, ELCA, LettersBrian FlatgardBishop Curry Letters, Climate ChangeComment
A Christmas Whisper of Love and Hope from Presiding Bishop Curry | Un susurro de amor y esperanza: Mensaje navideño del Obispo Presidente Curry
A Christmas Whisper of Love and Hope from Presiding Bishop Curry | Un susurro de amor y esperanza: Mensaje navideño del Obispo Presidente Curry

Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry shares a Christmas children’s sermon inviting us to listen for God’s gentle whispers of love, hope, and peace. The video is available for congregational use, along with downloadable English and Spanish PDFs. This Christmas, Bishop Curry reminds us that “the heavens are still whispering: Jesus is here. God loves you. Share that love with the world.”

El Obispo Presidente Yehiel Curry comparte un sermón infantil navideño que nos invita a escuchar los susurros de amor, esperanza y paz de Dios. El video está disponible para uso en congregaciones, junto con los PDFs en inglés y español. Este mensaje nos recuerda que “los cielos todavía susurran: Jesús está aquí. Dios te ama. Comparte ese amor con el mundo.”

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Bishop Curry, ELCABrian Flatgard2025 Advent and Christmas, Bishop Curry LettersComment
Bishop Curry Opens LWF’s 2025 Advent Series with a Message of Hope
Bishop Curry Opens LWF’s 2025 Advent Series with a Message of Hope

The Lutheran World Federation’s 2025 Advent Calendar launches November 30 with daily “Messages of Faith” shared by Lutherans around the world. Beginning with a reflection from ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry, each short video explores how faith grounds and guides us in this season of expectation. Follow the daily updates on LWF social media or at the Advent Calendar site to receive new encouragement each day of Advent.

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Bishop Curry, ELCA, Global ChurchBrian Flatgard2025 Advent and Christmas, Lutheran World FederationComment
“We Must Stay Connected”: A Pastoral Message from Bishop Curry
“We Must Stay Connected”: A Pastoral Message from Bishop Curry

In a new pastoral message, ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry reflects on ministry during a historic government shutdown and the church’s call to serve neighbors amid division, disruption, and fear. He lifts up ELCA ministries feeding the hungry, accompanying immigrants, responding to disasters, and advocating for justice when government fails to protect the vulnerable.

Read the full message: A Pastoral Message for These Troubled Days.

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Bishop Curry, ELCA, LettersBrian FlatgardBishop Curry LettersComment
“A Connected Church”: Bishop Curry to Advise Portico Board
“A Connected Church”: Bishop Curry to Advise Portico Board

Portico Benefit Services has announced that the Rev. Yehiel Curry, ELCA presiding bishop, has been appointed as an advisory member of its board of trustees. Curry’s leadership will help guide Portico’s strategic priorities, strengthening its support for the retirement, health, and financial wellness of more than 55,000 ELCA leaders and employees.

Read the full announcement: Presiding Bishop Curry Joins Portico Board or visit Portico’s detailed release: Yehiel Curry Joins Portico Board.

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Bishop Curry, ELCABrian FlatgardPorticoComment
New Leadership, Same Call: Bishop Yehiel Curry Installed as Presiding Bishop
New Leadership, Same Call: Bishop Yehiel Curry Installed as Presiding Bishop

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America celebrated the installation of Bishop Yehiel Curry as its new presiding bishop on October 5, 2025, at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. The service—led by former Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton—featured a diverse assembly of leaders, choirs, and guests from across the ELCA and beyond. Rooted in joy and call, the celebration emphasized God’s invitation to serve in every context. Curry, formerly bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod, succeeds Bishop Eaton in a six-year term.

Read the full story and watch highlights of the installation on Living Lutheran: Answering the Call.

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Bishop Curry, ELCABrian FlatgardBishop Curry Comment
Celebrating Leadership and Faith: Bishop Curry’s Installation Service Now Online
Celebrating Leadership and Faith: Bishop Curry’s Installation Service Now Online

The video of the installation of Rev. Yehiel Curry as Presiding Bishop of the ELCA—held on October 4, 2025, at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis—is now available to watch online. The service celebrates Bishop Curry’s leadership and the ELCA’s shared mission to proclaim Christ in the world. Watch the installation service on YouTube.

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Bishop Curry, ELCABrian FlatgardBishop CurryComment
Rev. Yehiel Curry to Be Installed as ELCA Presiding Bishop Oct. 4
Rev. Yehiel Curry to Be Installed as ELCA Presiding Bishop Oct. 4

The Rev. Yehiel Curry will be installed as presiding bishop of the ELCA on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at 2 p.m. Central (12 p.m. MST) at Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis. Curry, the first Black presiding bishop of the ELCA, was elected during the 2025 Churchwide Assembly in Phoenix. The service is open to the public, with livestream access available here: ELCA Installation of the Presiding Bishop.

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Bishop Curry, ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardComment
Rev. Yehiel Curry to Be Installed as ELCA Presiding Bishop Oct. 4
Rev. Yehiel Curry to Be Installed as ELCA Presiding Bishop Oct. 4

The Rev. Yehiel Curry will be installed as presiding bishop of the ELCA on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at 2 p.m. Central (12 p.m. MST) at Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis. Curry, the first Black presiding bishop of the ELCA, was elected during the 2025 Churchwide Assembly in Phoenix. The service is open to the public, with livestream access available here: ELCA Installation of the Presiding Bishop.

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Bishop Curry, ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardComment
Living Lutheran: Meet Presiding Bishop-Elect Yehiel Curry
Living Lutheran: Meet Presiding Bishop-Elect Yehiel Curry

Bishop Yehiel Curry has been elected the fifth presiding bishop of the ELCA, marking a historic first as the denomination’s first bishop of African descent. A former teacher and social worker turned pastor and synod bishop, Curry brings a deep passion for lay leadership, community-rooted ministry, and faithful embodiment of the church’s call. His story is one of discernment, hope, and gratitude for the church’s investment in emerging leaders. Curry will be installed October 4 at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. Click here to read the full story on Living Lutheran.

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Bishop Curry, ELCA, NewsBrian Flatgard2025 Churchwide Assembly Comment