Michael Curry (bishop)
A fiery preacher who brought the rhythms of the Black church to a global audience, championing a theology of love as a revolutionary force.
Born 1953 (age 73)·Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church from 2015 to 2024·Birthday: March 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
Michael Curry’s election as Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church was a seismic event, marking the end of over two centuries of white leadership. A descendant of enslaved Africans, he brought a distinctly American and African American prophetic voice to the primacy. His preaching style—energetic, narrative, and deeply rooted in the tradition of the Black church—initially surprised some in the pews but quickly captivated a wider public. His 2018 sermon at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, a passionate discourse on the 'power of love,' introduced his message to billions worldwide. As presiding bishop, he navigated the church through intense debates on sexuality and racial justice, all while launching the 'Way of Love' initiative, a practical discipleship framework. He framed social justice not as a political diversion but as gospel imperative, arguing that the church must follow the 'Jesus Movement' into the world. His tenure re-energized a denomination and projected a vision of Christianity unafraid of emotion and committed to public engagement.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Michael was born in 1953, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Michael Was Born
The biggest hits of 1953
#1 Movie
Peter Pan
Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Michael's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1953Born
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Started school
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1966Became a teenager
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Could drive
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1971Could vote
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Turned 21
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1983Turned 30
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 40
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 50
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 60
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 70
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 73 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Elected in 2015 as the first African American Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church.
- Delivered a globally televised sermon on the 'power of love' at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.
- Launched the 'Way of Love' initiative, a set of spiritual practices for Episcopal discipleship.
- Served as Bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina from 2000 until his election as presiding bishop.
Did You Know?
He is a distant relative of Absalom Jones, the first African American priest ordained in the Episcopal Church.
Before becoming a bishop, he was a parish priest in Ohio, North Carolina, and Baltimore.
He is known for his collection of vibrant bow ties.
““If it’s not about love, it’s not about God.””
