NEW PRESIDING BISHOP

The Rt. Rev. Michael Bruce Curry has been elected and confirmed as the 27th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. The news was announced at 3:50 p.m. EDT today by the president of the House of Deputies. The Rt. Rev. Curry is bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina. He was elected on the first ballot in the House of Bishops this afternoon. Of the 174 votes cast he won 121, or 70%. The vote of the House of Deputies to confirm his election was 800-yes and 12-no. He will be the first African American to hold this highest post of the Episcopal Church. When his election was announced, the 800+ deputies in the House of Deputies erupted in prolonged applause and song. His term will begin on November 1, 2015. This is a historic moment for the Episcopal Church.