On May 1, 2015, the joint nominating committee for the election of the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church nominated Curry and three other bishops as candidates for 27th
presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church. The election occurred on June 27, 2015, at the 78th
General Convention meeting in
Salt Lake City. Curry was elected by the House of Bishops meeting in
St. Mark's Cathedral on the first ballot with 121 of 174 votes cast. Laity and clergy in the House of Deputies ratified Curry's election later the same day. Curry was installed as presiding bishop and
primate on November 1, 2015,
All Saints' Day, during a Eucharist at
Washington National Cathedral. The service included readings in Spanish and Native American languages.
Dismissals of high ranking staff members Among Curry's first acts as presiding bishop was the placement of three senior staff at Episcopal Church headquarters on administrative leave pending investigation for violating workplace policies. In April 2016, Curry followed up by dismissing Bishop
Stacy Sauls as chief operating officer and dismissing two other senior administrators; Sauls remained a bishop. When announcing the dismissals, Curry stated: ... Our task as staff is to serve The Episcopal Church in such a way that it can serve the world in the Name and in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. We are therefore all called to strive for and adhere to the highest standards of personal and professional conduct embodying the love of God and reflecting the teachings and the way of Jesus. The precise nature of the policy violations noted by Curry was never disclosed, nor were criminal charges filed.
Revival tours During 2017 and 2018, Curry launched a series of revivals "that promise to stir and renew hearts for Jesus, to equip Episcopalians as evangelists, and to welcome people who aren't part of a church to join the Jesus Movement." The revivals were scheduled to include multi-day public events in the Episcopal Dioceses of
Pittsburgh,
West Missouri,
Georgia,
San Joaquin, and
Honduras. The series was expected to culminate in a "joint evangelism mission" with the
Church of England in July 2018. Nivedhan and Eklan Singh launched a website dedicated to the allegations and said that they "seek the resignation and
defrocking of [their] father from his role as Provisional Bishop of the Dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan ... and [they] seek to launch a Title IV investigation of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and Bishop
Todd Ousley for mishandling [their] serious allegations of abuse."
Anglican Communion in 2016
Primates' gathering in 2016 In January 2016,
Primates in the Anglican Communion gathered at
Canterbury Cathedral, mother church of the global
Anglican Communion, at the invitation of
Justin Welby, the
Archbishop of Canterbury. It was the first such meeting attended by Curry as presiding bishop. Human sexuality and the Episcopal Church's July 2015 approval of same-sex marriage rites were prominent topics of discussion. Because of the Episcopal Church's decision to allow clergy to perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex partners, the primates in attendance publicly sanctioned the Episcopal Church for a period of three years. The primates stated that during that three-year period, Episcopal leaders would not be allowed to represent the Anglican Communion on ecumenical and interfaith bodies, would not be elected or appointed to internal committees, and would not take part in decisionmaking on issues pertaining to doctrine or polity. In the aftermath of the sanctions, Curry maintained his public support for same-sex marriage, stating: Our commitment to be an inclusive church is not based on a social theory or capitulation to the ways of the culture, but on our belief that the outstretched arms of Jesus on the cross are a sign of the very love of God reaching out to us all. While I understand that many disagree with us, our decision regarding marriage is based on the belief that the words of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians are true for the church today: All who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female, for all are one in Christ. For so many who are committed to following Jesus in the way of love and being a church that lives that love, this decision will bring real pain. For fellow disciples of Jesus in our church who are gay or lesbian, this will bring more pain. For many who have felt and been rejected by the church because of who they are, for many who have felt and been rejected by families and communities, our church opening itself in love was a sign of hope. And this will add pain on top of pain. The Archbishop of Canterbury named Curry as one of the 10 members of that "task group" in May 2016.
Delegation to Rome In October 2016, Curry represented the Anglican Communion as part of a delegation of
Anglican primates to the
Vatican led by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The leaders joined together in an ecumenical
Vespers service led jointly by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the
Roman Pontiff, followed by a private meeting between
Pope Francis and the Anglican primates. The events honored the fiftieth anniversary since the then Archbishop of Canterbury
Michael Ramsey and
Pope Paul VI met in 1966, the first such meeting since the
English Reformation in the 16th century. The meeting also celebrated the 50th anniversary since the
Anglican Centre in Rome was established. Curry emphasized the need for Christian cooperation, publicly stating the following: [the] mission of the church is to help the human family, with all its variety and all its diversity and all its differences, to find a way to become not simply a disparate community but a human family of God. Dr. Martin Luther King said it this way, "we shall either learn to live together as brothers and sisters, or we'll perish together as fools." The choice is ours, chaos or community. Curry's presence in Rome was criticized by
Nicholas Okoh,
Archbishop of Nigeria and chairman of the traditionalist group
Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON). Okoh publicly stated that Curry's invitation was a violation of sanctions established by Anglican primates during their January 2016 gathering in
Canterbury. in 2018
Royal wedding Curry was invited by
Prince Harry and
Meghan Markle to deliver the sermon at
their wedding. The wedding took place on May 19, 2018, at
St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle in England. Curry's 14-minute sermon attracted considerable comment. The sermon emphasized the redemptive potential of love and used fire as a metaphor for its power and significance. His enthusiastic style was reportedly well received by some attending the wedding and the address was described as "electrifying the wedding" having "won smiles but also some quizzical glances" although there were many other positive reactions. The address was wide-ranging in its sources quoting from
Martin Luther King Jr., After the wedding Curry received widespread international attention, has published a book, and offered several widely republished soundbites on the service, such as "I could feel slaves", and has been frequently interviewed by American media outlets as to provide a spiritual perspective in the aftermath of significant events.
Other services On September 1, 2018, Curry served as the officiant for the state funeral of Senator
John McCain. Shortly thereafter, he officiated at the
funeral of George H. W. Bush at the Washington National Cathedral on December 5, 2018. Less than a week later he delivered a sermon-like address at "The Spirit of Apollo" program organized by the National Air and Space Museum. The program was held at Washington National Cathedral and commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission to the moon. ==Honors==