The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America installed the Rev. Yehiel Curry as its first Black presiding bishop Saturday, a landmark moment for the predominantly white denomination.
“It hasn’t really hit me yet,” Curry told The Associated Press a week before his installation. “The fact that you’re a first.”
kAmrFCCJ DF44665D E96 #6G] t=:K236E9 t2E@?[ H9@ D6CG65 7@C `a J62CD 2?5 H2D E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H@>6?\=6256CD9:A\>:?:DECJ\8=@32=\C6=:8:@FD\4=6C8J\_fb`a47hf`eee27326fha3`c4c“3b_eQm7:CDE H@>2? E@ =625k^2m E96 t{rp]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 t2E@?’D E6?FC6[ rFCCJ H2E4965 2D E96 t{rp 4@?76C6?46 @7 3:D9@AD H6?E 7C@> >2;@C:EJ >6? E@ >2;@C:EJ H@>6?]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< 96C AC6D6?46 >2EE6C65[” 96 D2:5] “p?5 x’> 9@A67F= E92E :7 AC6D6?46 >2EE6CD E92E H6 H:== DE2CE E@ D66 >@C6 2?5 >@C6 =6256CD @7 4@=@C]”k^Am
kAmp 7@C>2= 46C6>@?J 2E r6?EC2= {FE96C2? r9FC49 😕 |:??62A@=:D <:4<65 @77 rFCCJ’D D:I\J62C E6C>[ H9:49 3682? ~4E] `] w6 H2D 6=64E65 2E E96 t{rp r9FC49H:56 pDD6>3=J @? yF=J b_ 😕 !9@6?:I]k^Am
kAmp>6C:42? {FE96C2?:D> 😀 @7E6? DE6C6@EJA65 3J :ED $42?5:?2G:2? 2?5 v6C>2? C@@ED 2?5 4@?46?EC2E:@? 😕 E96 FAA6C |:5H6DE] qJ D@>6 >62DFC6D[ E96 t{rp 😀 >@C6 E92? hdT H9:E6] qFE :E 92D :?G6DE65 😕 =@42= 4@?8C682E:@?D @7 4@=@C 2?5 >F=E:4F=EFC2= >:?:DEC:6D[ H9:=6 >2:?E2:?:?8 E:6D E@ 8C@H:?8 {FE96C2? 49FC496D 8=@32==J]k^Am
kAm“w6 😀 C6AC6D6?E:?8 2 G6CJ H9:E6 56?@>:?2E:@? 2D 2 q=24< >2? 7C@> E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D] x E9:?< :E’D 2 52F?E:?8[ 52F?E:?8 42==[” D2:5 E96 #6G] {6:=2 ~CE:K[ 2 7C:6?5 H9@ C646?E=J 7:?:D965 2 E6C> 2D t{rp 3:D9@A @7 E96 |6EC@A@=:E2? (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r][ $J?@5] “x ECFDE 9:>[ 2?5 x ECFDE v@5 2?5 x 42?’E H2:E E@ H2E49]”k^Am
kAmpD =6256C @7 E96 =2C86DE p>6C:42? {FE96C2? r9FC49 3@5J[ rFCCJ H:== 7246 492==6?86D 4@>>@? E@ @E96C >2:?=:?6 !C@E6DE2?E 56?@>:?2E:@?D[ H9:49 😕 C646?E J62CD 92G6 H62E96C65 E96@=@8:42= 5:DAFE6D @G6C {vq%”Z :?4=FD:@? 2?5 AC64:A:E@FD >6>36CD9:A 564=:?6D] %96 t{rp 92D 5C@AA65 7C@> d]b >:==:@? >6>36CD 😕 `hgg E@ a]f >:==:@? >6>36CD E@52J]k^Am
kAm$:?46 a__h[ E96 t{rp 92D 3=6DD65 D2>6\D6I >2CC:286D 2?5 H6=4@>65 {vq%”Z 4=6C8J[ 6=6G2E:?8 :ED 7:CDE @A6?=J 82J C68:@?2= 3:D9@A 😕 a_`b 2?5 :ED 7:CDE @A6?=J EC2?D86?56C C68:@?2= 3:D9@A 😕 a_a`]k^Am
kAmrFCCJ[ db[ 😀 @?=J E96 7:7E9 AC6D:5:?8 3:D9@A @7 E96 t{rp[ H9:49 7@C>65 7C@> 2 >6C86C @7 56?@>:?2E:@?D 😕 `hgg] &?E:= 9:D 6=64E:@?[ 96 H2D @?6 @7 ed DJ?@52=[ @C C68:@?2=[ 3:D9@AD] w6 =65 E96 |6EC@A@=:E2? r9:428@ $J?@5[ H96C6 E96 t{rp’D 9625BF2CE6CD 😀 2=D@ =@42E65]k^Am
k9amp F?:BF6 A2E9 E@ {FE96C2? r9FC49 =6256CD9:Ak^9am
kAmq@C? E96 D6G6?E9 @7 “ 49:=5C6? @? E96 D@FE9 D:56 @7 r9:428@[ rFCCJ 8C6H FA r2E9@=:4 2?5 2EE6?565 r2E9@=:4 D49@@=D E9C@F89 4@==686] w6 H2D 2 D@4:2= H@C<6C 367@C6 364@>:?8 2 AF3=:4 D49@@=E62496C]k^Am
kAm(96? 96 2?5 9:D H:76 7:CDE G:D:E65 $96<:?29 r92A6=[ E96J H6C6 😕 E96:C >:5\EH6?E:6D[ 2?5 :E H2D 2 7=658:?8 4@?8C682E:@? 😕 r9:428@] “x ?6G6C A2:5 2EE6?E:@? E92E :E H2D 😕 2 {FE96C2? r9FC49]”k^Am
kAm%96 49FC49 925 2 >6?E@C:?8 AC@8C2> 7@C J@F?8 q=24< >6? 2?5 3@JD E92E 96 E9@F89E 4@F=5 D6CG6 D@>6 @7 9:D >:55=6 D49@@= DEF56?ED]k^Am
kAm“u@C >6[ :E H2D E96 EC25:E:@?2= q=24< H@CD9:A 6IA6C:6?46 6I46AE :E H2D 2 =:EE=6 3:E >@C6 4@?E6>A@C2CJ[” 96 D2:5] “%96C6 H2D A@6ECJ[ E96C6 H2D =:EFC8:42= 52?46[ E96C6 H2D 2 32?5 2?5 AC2:D6 2?5 H@CD9:A]”k^Am
kAm$96<:?29 r92A6= 8C6H 7C@> 2? t{rp AC@8C2> E@ 2? @77:4:2= 4@?8C682E:@?] rFCCJ H6?E 7C@> 2 =2J =6256C E@ 2 >@C6 7@C>2= =6256CD9:A C@=6 H9:=6 8@:?8 E@ D6>:?2CJ] w6 H2D @C52:?65 H:E9:? E96 t{rp 😕 a__h]k^Am
kAm“%92E’D F?4@>>@? H96C6 J@F 86E E@ =625 😕 2 A=246 H96C6 J@F’G6 366? C2:D65[” rFCCJ D2:5] “x ?@H C64@8?:K6 9@H 7@CEF?2E6 x 2>]”k^Am
kAmw6 H2D A2CE @7 E96 %96@=@8:42= t5F42E:@? 7@C t>6C8:?8 |:?:DEC:6D W%tt|X AC@8C2>[ H9:49 E96 t{rp D2JD AC6A2C6D >:?:DE6CD 😕 “6E9?:4\DA64:7:4[ >F=E:4F=EFC2=[ CFC2= 2?5 :??6C\4:EJ D6EE:?8D]”k^Am
kAmw:D A2E9 E@ >:?:DECJ 9:89=:89ED @?6 H2J @7 8C@H:?8 ?6H 2?5 5:G6CD6 4@?8C682E:@?D H:E9:? @=56C 49FC49 DECF4EFC6D]k^Am
k9am%96 5:G6CD:EJ @7 {FE96C2?Dk^9am
kAmrFCCJ’D 7@C6CF??6CD 2D p7C:42? p>6C:42? {FE96C2? =6256CD :?4=F56 E96 #6G] }6=D@? (6D=6J %C@FE[ E96 7:CDE q=24< t{rp DJ?@5 3:D9@A[ 2?5 E96 #6G] (:== w6CK76=5[ 2 q=24< AC6D:5:?8 3:D9@A 7@C 2 AC65646DD@C t{rp 56?@>:?2E:@?]k^Am
kAm“q=24DE6C52> 😕 E96 `e__D] (6 92G6 366? AC6D6?E 😕 D@>6 D>2== H2J 7C@> E96 368:??:?8[” D2:5 E96 #6G] y2>6D %9@>2D[ 2 C6E:C65 t{rp D6>:?2CJ AC@76DD@C 2?5 2FE9@C @7 “p #F>@C @7 q=24< {FE96C2?D]”k^Am
kAmpC@F?5 E96 8=@36[ E96 =2C86DE 2?5 72DE6DE\8C@H:?8 {FE96C2? 49FC496D 2C6 😕 p7C:42]k^Am
kAmp 36?67:E @7 rFCCJ’D =6256CD9:A 😀 E92E :E 42? 96=A 6=6G2E6 “E96 724E E92E p7C:42? p>6C:42?D 92G6 366? 4@?EC:3FE:?8 E@ {FE96C2?:D> 7@C 2 G6CJ =@?8 E:>6[ 2?5 ?@E ;FDE 96C6 😕 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 3FE 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5 2?5 😕 p7C:42[” D2:5 E96 #6G] *@=2?52 s6?D@?\qJ6CD[ H9@ HC@E6 “$66 |6[ q6=:6G6 |6[” 2 3@@< @? E96 492==6?86D =6256CD @7 4@=@C 7246 😕 E96 >2:?=J H9:E6 t{rp]k^Am
kAmq:D9@A #68:?2 w2DD2?2==J @7 E96 t{rp $@FE962DE6C? |:??6D@E2 $J?@5 D2:5 rFCCJ’D 6=6G2E:@? 😀 2 5F2= 42== — 7@C 9:> 2?5 E96 56?@>:?2E:@?]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 42? 36 2 E6>AE2E:@? E@ E9:?< E92E 42==:?8 2 =6256C @7 4@=@C 😀 6?@F89[” D96 D2:5] “qFE E96 C62=:EJ 😀 E92E :E >62?D 4C62E:?8 DFAA@CED 2?5 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2?5 24EF2==J 2==@H:?8 E92E A6CD@? E@ =625 @FE @7 2== @7 E96:C 8:7ED 2?5 E96:C 7F== :56?E:EJ[ ?@E ;FDE @?6 A:646 @7 E96:C :56?E:EJ]”k^Am
kAmrFCCJ D2:5 9:D 8@2=D :?4=F56 6IA=@C:?8 H2JD 7@C E96 t{rp E@ 36 2 >@C6 4@??64E65 49FC49[ 7C@> =@42= 4@?8C682E:@?D FA E9C@F89 E96 9:6C2C49J] p=@?8 H:E9 36:?8 2 H6=4@>:?8 2?5 E9C:G:?8 49FC49[ :E’D @?6 @7 E96 8@2=D E96 56?@>:?2E:@? 92D 2=C625J D6E]k^Am
kAm“$@>6E:>6D J@F 4@>6 FA H:E9 E96D6 F?:BF6 DE2E6>6?ED 2?5 DEC2E68:6D[ 3FE E96? H6 >@G6 @? 2D EC2?D:E:@? 92AA6?D[” 96 D2:5] “x H2?E E@ E2<6 D@>6E9:?8 E92E H6’G6 277:C>65 2=C625J 2?5 >2J36 5:8 2 =:EE=6 566A6C]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmpDD@4:2E65 !C6DD C6=:8:@? 4@G6C286 C646:G6D DFAA@CE E9C@F89 E96 p!’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^3:E]=J^2A\EH:CQm4@==23@C2E:@?k^2m H:E9 %96 r@?G6CD2E:@? &$[ H:E9 7F?5:?8 7C@> {:==J t?5@H>6?E x?4] %96 p! 😀 D@=6=J C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C E9:D 4@?E6?E]k^Am