As Election Day approaches, ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry invites Lutherans to practice healthy patriotism through prayer, civic participation and service to the common good. Drawing on Fannie Lou Hamer’s voting rights witness and Martin Luther’s reflections on Mary’s Magnificat, he calls us to hold leaders accountable and help every voice be heard—with our hope grounded in God’s steadfast love.
Read Bishop Curry’s full message on faithful citizenship and healthy patriotism.
Read MorePresiding Bishop Yehiel Curry reaffirms the ELCA’s opposition to the death penalty, calling for healing, reconciliation, and dignity for every person. His October 16 statement invites congregations to pray, study, and advocate for abolition while accompanying all affected by violent crime. Read Bishop Curry’s full statement.
Read MorePresiding Bishop Yehiel Curry invites the ELCA to recognize diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility as expressions of our baptismal call to serve all people and seek justice. His Sept. 28 message encourages congregations to build trusting relationships and honor the distinct gifts each person brings to the body of Christ. Read Bishop Curry’s message.
Read MoreELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry calls Lutherans to be “faithful, informed and engaged” this election season—and to serve as trusted messengers in a time when misinformation can undermine trust and participation. Grounding civic engagement in our baptismal calling, love of neighbor and the commandment not to bear false witness, Bishop Curry encourages congregations and individuals to seek accurate information, participate thoughtfully and help strengthen their communities.
His Aug. 19 message also highlights new ELCA election resources, including the ELCA Election Engagement Toolkitand a Sept. 3 toolkit launch webinar. Read Bishop Curry’s full message and explore the resources →
Read MoreELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry reflects on religious diversity, Christian faith and the church’s calling to a “ministry of reconciliation.” Drawing on the ELCA’s interreligious commitments, Curry encourages Lutherans to build relationships across religious differences while resisting efforts to identify the nation or government with a single faith. Read Presiding Bishop Curry’s full message.
Read MoreAs the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry invites Lutherans to hold both gratitude and humility. In the latest installment of his All Together in One Place series, Curry reflects on the nation’s aspirations, its failures to live fully into those ideals, and the Christian call to repentance, justice, and service rooted in Christ’s resurrection.
Drawing on Scripture and the ELCA’s social teaching, Curry encourages the church to remember its baptismal unity, name sin honestly, and work for the common good while trusting in God’s ever-unfolding grace. Read Presiding Bishop Curry’s full reflection.
Read MoreIn the ELCA's 2026 Synod Assembly video (with Spanish captions) from Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry, he shares three stories from across the ELCA, including a story about a feeding program from South Carolina, a journey to the Holy Land for Bishop Imad Haddad's installation at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, and a pastor's calling by his congregation in Washington State.
Read MoreIn a new monthly series titled All Together in One Place, Presiding Bishop Rev. Yehiel Curry reflects on faith, division, justice, and Christian unity in a complex time. Rooted in Pentecost and Lutheran theology, the series aims to offer a pastoral word grounded in Scripture, deep listening, and shared life in Christ. Read Bishop Curry’s message.
Read MoreFollowing the deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry has issued a pastoral response condemning Islamophobia, grieving with Muslim neighbors and calling Lutherans to visible solidarity, relationship-building, advocacy and courage in the face of hatred. Grounded in Lutheran teaching and resurrection hope, Bishop Curry reminds the church that “hate will not have the final word.”
Read MoreIn a pastoral message for Child Abuse Prevention Month, Presiding Bishop Rev. Yehiel Curry calls the church to protect children, support survivors, and confront the realities of abuse with honesty and faith. Grounded in resurrection hope, the message invites congregations to review policies, strengthen practices, and embody Christ’s care for the most vulnerable. Read the full message and explore how your congregation can respond.
Read MoreIn his Easter message (download: bit.ly/4c9zxv4) , Presiding Bishop Curry says that even though we consider ourselves to be an Easter church, we must remember that we are also a Lenten church, a time when we live in uncertainty, waiting and hoping for renewal. Curry reminds us that in the midst of that uncertainty, comes God’s promise of reassurance and hope. Death does not have the final word.
“Yes, we are Easter people. Even when the ground below us is shaking, we will not grow weary. We know that Jesus is our foundation. Christ is risen, and that truth strengthens us. It gives us courage to live, to hope, and to proclaim joy. Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!”
Read MoreIn a March 31 message for Transgender Day of Visibility, Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry calls the ELCA to prayer, advocacy, and solidarity with transgender people, affirming that all are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139).
Amid rising anti-trans legislation, the message urges congregations to act through love, learning, and justice, and points to key ELCA resources that support this ongoing work of dignity and inclusion.
Read MoreIn a March 24 pastoral message, Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry addresses the reality of sexual and gender-based violence, offering a word of care to survivors and reaffirming the church’s commitment to dignity, justice, and healing. Grounded in the truth that all people are created in God’s image (Psalm 139), the message names violence as a misuse of power and calls the church to stand with those who have experienced harm.
The ELCA continues to provide resources, training, and advocacy to prevent abuse and support survivors. Read the full pastoral message and access key resources for ministry and care.
Read MoreIn a March 4 pastoral statement, ELCA Presiding Bishop Rev. Yehiel Curry calls the church to prayer, advocacy, and renewed commitment to peace as war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran intensifies. Grounded in Scripture and Lutheran social teaching, Curry laments the loss of life—including Iranian schoolchildren and U.S. service members—and raises concern about the lack of congressional authorization prior to U.S. military engagement.
The bishop urges Lutherans to pray for peace, support diplomatic and humanitarian efforts, and stand in solidarity with companions in the Middle East, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. Read the full statement from the ELCA Presiding Bishop.
Read MoreWith a February 13 deadline looming for DHS funding, ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry joined eight other Christian leaders in urging Congress to enact just and humane immigration policies. The February 9 letter calls for due process, accountability for violence, protections for houses of worship, limits on excessive enforcement funding, and an end to the detention of children.
Grounded in Isaiah 58 and Leviticus 19, the letter affirms that immigrants are “beloved children of God” and encourages reforms that reflect human dignity and the common good. Read the full letter here. Read the original post at ELCA.org here.
Read MorePresiding Bishop Yehiel Curry and Minnesota ELCA synod bishops have released a joint pastoral video condemning aggressive immigration activity and addressing the fear and uncertainty experienced by many communities. Grounded in Christ’s promises, the bishops call the church to faithful lament, moral clarity, and continued witness rooted in human dignity.
Watch and share the video message as an act of prayerful solidarity and hope.
Read MoreIn a joint statement released Jan. 16, 2026, national bishops from Lutheran churches in the United States, Canada, and Denmark voiced strong support for the Greenlandic people amid growing international pressure on Greenland’s future. The statement affirms Greenland’s right to self-determination, peace between nations, and respect for international law, echoing the words of Paneeraq Siegstad Munk: “We are people, not property. Greenland is not land to be bought.”
The bishops invite Lutherans to pray for Greenland and to contact elected leaders, urging them to respect the independence, dignity, and human rights of the Greenlandic people.
Read MoreIn response to U.S. military action in Venezuela, Bishop Yehiel Curry calls the church to prayer, solidarity, and faithful civic engagement rooted in baptismal identity. The statement lifts up concern for the Venezuelan people, the Venezuelan Lutheran church, and the more than 600,000 Venezuelans in the U.S. facing uncertainty over Temporary Protected Status.
Affirming Lutheran social teaching, the ELCA urges humanitarian pathways, congressional accountability over war powers, and resistance to economic or political exploitation. Read the full statement and prayer.
Read MorePresiding Bishop Yehiel Curry issued a statement mourning the Jan. 7, 2026, shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, calling for a full investigation, accountability, and de-escalation of immigration enforcement. Rooted in Isaiah 1:17, the statement affirms the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s commitment to human dignity, just immigration policy, and prayerful solidarity with impacted communities.
The ELCA invites ongoing prayer, vigils, and advocacy, and lifts up resources from AMMPARO as the church continues its historic commitment to accompany migrants and refugees. Read the full statement.
Read MoreFollowing 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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