Evangelist-in-chief: Rewatching 10 of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s top sermons from past 10 years

[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Michael Curry was already known as a gifted and energetic preacher when he was elected as The Episcopal Church’s denominational leader in 2015, and throughout nine years of travel around the church during his term, he was welcomed warmly by Episcopalians eager to hear one of his rousing sermons.

Curry has delivered countless sermons in the past decade, from somber pastoral messages to dioceses that were recovering from natural disasters to his spirited preaching on Christian love at numerous revivals — all reflecting his embrace of the role of the church’s evangelist-in-chief.

Some of Curry’s sermons have achieved even wider renown, particularly when he was invited to preach at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in May 2018. Others have marked key moments in the life of The Episcopal Church and the world. Curry collected five of his most notable sermons in a 2018 book, “The Power of Love.”

With his term to conclude on Oct. 31, Episcopal News Service is sharing videos of 10 noteworthy sermons below. See also this Q&A, in which Curry reflects on his eventful nine-year primacy.

July 3, 2015 – Presiding bishop-elect

Curry preached the following sermon in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the 78th General Convention after his election and confirmation as the 27th presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church.

Nov. 1, 2015 – Presiding bishop’s installation

Curry was formally installed as presiding bishop during a service at Washington National Cathedral.

May 19, 2018 – The Royal Wedding

Nothing in Curry’s nine-year term quite compared to the global impact of his royal wedding sermon. With an estimated viewership in the billions, Curry’s message about the power of love continued to resonate long afterward, drawing widespread attention to love’s centrality in Christian teachings.

July 5, 2018 – The Way of Love

The 79th General Convention in Austin, Texas, was Curry’s first as presiding bishop. In his sermon at the opening Eucharist, Curry spoke of his newly developed “Way of Love,” seven spiritual practices intended to help Episcopalians and other Christians lead Jesus-centered lives.

July 7, 2018 – 79th General Convention Revival

Curry and his staff had worked with dioceses since February 2017 to organize large revival events to spread the word of Jesus’ Gospel message of love. The revival at the 79th General Convention was the biggest yet, with Curry preaching to an estimated crowd of about 2,500 while tens of thousands more watched online.

July 8, 2018 – Prayer of Vision, Witness and Justice

While bishops and deputies were meeting in Austin, Curry led a daylong journey of public witness to the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, Texas, where migrant women were being held in detention. Curry preached outside the facility to about a thousand Episcopalians who had gathered to stand against inhumane immigration policies and enforcement.

Nov. 1, 2020 – Holding on to Hope

On the fifth anniversary of his installation as presiding bishop, Curry recorded a sermon for Washington National Cathedral’s “Holding on to Hope: A National Service for Healing and Wholeness.” The service was scheduled two days before the 2020 presidential election and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, during widespread protests against racial injustice in the United States.

Sept. 11, 2021 – 20 years after 9/11

Curry preached at New York’s Trinity Church Wall Street in Lower Manhattan on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

July 8, 2022 – 80th General Convention

The COVID-19 pandemic forced church leaders to postpone the 80th General Convention by a year to June 2022, and when the in-person meeting convened in Baltimore, it was also shortened from eight days to four. For daily worship, the preachers recorded video sermons, starting with Curry’s on the opening day.

July 9, 2023 – It’s All About Love Festival

Hundreds of Episcopalians from all nine of The Episcopal Church’s provinces gathered in July 2023 at the Baltimore Convention Center for the churchwide festival, which took its name from a recurring theme in Curry’s sermons. The presiding bishop preached at a revival service to open the festival.