Episcopal Church body elects Right Rev. Michael B. Curry as 27th Presiding Bishop
The Right Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, was elected the 27th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church on the first ballot on June 27, making him the first African-American to be elected Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.
The landslide election occurred during the 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Curry received 121 of the 174 votes tallied on the first ballot (a candidate needs 89 votes to be elected.)
Following his election by the House of Bishops, Curry’s election was overwhelmingly confirmed by the House of Deputies: 800 in favor, 12 against. Members of the House of Delegates, composed of clergy and lay delegates from each diocese, greeted Curry with a standing ovation. Parishes from the Diocese of Long Island, which encompasses Brooklyn, also sent delegates. Brooklyn has several Episcopal parishes with rich histories, particularly in the Downtown-area neighborhoods.
Curry fielded a range of media questions with characteristic humility and humor on June 27 and said he intends to build on the good work of his predecessor “because that’s the way the Spirit works.”