Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry is a passionate preacher, bridge-builder, and faithful companion to communities living through disruption and change. Serving as bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the ELCA, Bishop Curry is known for his joyful proclamation of the gospel, his deep commitment to justice and reconciliation, and his insistence that God is present and at work precisely where life feels most fragile.

Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Bishop Curry’s ministry has been shaped by urban neighborhoods, grassroots organizing, and a fierce love for young people and families. Before his election as bishop, he served as mission developer and pastor of Shekinah Chapel Lutheran Church, a multicultural, multigenerational congregation rooted in proclamation, hospitality, and community engagement. His leadership has included mentoring emerging leaders, nurturing innovative ministries, and walking alongside congregations as they discern how to be church in changing times.

Ministry & Message

Bishop Curry’s preaching is grounded, honest, and hope-filled. He has a gift for naming both the pain and possibility in our shared life, drawing on scripture, lived experience, and the witness of the wider church. He speaks candidly about broken systems, personal wounds, and collective grief—and then points us again to the God who gathers up every shattered piece and makes all things new.

His leadership style welcomes truth-telling about our imperfections as individuals and as church. Again and again, he invites faith communities to see brokenness not as a verdict, but as a starting point for grace, courage, and creative transformation—perfectly echoing our Synod Assembly 2026 theme, “Broken Open.” In his ministry, stories of failure, lament, and disruption become soil for resilience, renewed mission, and Spirit-led imagination.

An articulate voice in both church and community, Bishop Curry has engaged topics such as racial justice and reconciliation, gun violence and public safety, accompaniment with marginalized communities, and the ongoing call to become truly welcoming, anti-racist, and life-giving churches. Whether preaching, teaching, or simply listening, he embodies the conviction that Christ meets us where we are and refuses to leave us there.

Why Bishop Curry for Synod Assembly 2026?

• He lives out the “broken open / mended by grace” message in word and action.
• His life and leadership bear witness to the power of God at work in real communities, in real struggle, in real time.
• He inspires congregations to be bold, brave, and honest—ready to be made new by God’s healing touch and sent out for the sake of the world.

Come ready to be challenged, encouraged, and broken open to the surprising grace of God at work in you, in your congregation, and across the Nebraska Synod.