Bishop Michael Curry: Man with a Mission
The Episcopal Church in the United States made a momentous decision at its last General Convention held last year in Salt Lake City Utah, when they elected the Right Reverend Michael Curry as the 27th Presiding Bishop. Bishop Curry, the former bishop of North Carolina, is the first African American to be elected to this office. The vote was by all indications a landslide, and as a result there is much speculation about what this means for the future of The Episcopal Church.
It is worthy of note that the church has moved from a white woman to a black man as Presiding Bishop. Both elections were historic in a Church that had fought for years over the equality of both women and black persons. These two individuals offer a contrast in styles; the church is moving from a rather reserved and seemingly laid-back style to a more charismatic and flamboyant one. Curry comes across as a very down to earth individual with whom what you see is what you get – a man in whom there is seemingly no guile. This transition could not have come at a more significant time in the life of the Anglican Communion. With the rift that has occurred in the communion, much is expected of the new Presiding Bishop. He is leading a Church that has found itself at odds with rest of the Anglican Communion, with voices from within the Church calling for TEC to go it alone and abandon the idea of being part of the Communion.* Full article available in printed copies.