Presiding Bishop Michael Curry was installed Sunday as the first African-American to lead the U.S. Episcopal Church.
Curry, 62, was elected last summer and confirmed during the church’s 78th general convention. He formally assumed office Sunday and will serve a term of nine years.
A native of Buffalo, New York and a graduate of Yale Divinity School, Curry served about 15 years as leader of the Diocese of North Carolina before being elected to the top church post. He succeeds Katharine Jefferts Schori, who was the first woman to hold the position.
The Congressional Black Caucus commended Curry’s installation, with CBC Chair G.K. Butterfield calling it “a historic and momentous occasion for the nearly two million parishioners around the country.”