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Bishop Curry headlines 108th Diocesan Convention

—by Kay Collier McLaughlin

The Rt. Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, the 11th Bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina, a noted preacher with extensive involvement with educational and outreach efforts throughout his ministry, will be the guest preacher for the opening Eucharist of the 108th Diocesan Convention at Jenny Wiley State Park Feb. 26-28.

In his three parish ministries in North Carolina, Ohio and Maryland, Bishop Curry was figural in the founding of ecumenical summer day camps for children, the creation of networks of family day care providers, creation of educational centers and the brokering of millions of dollars of investment in inner city neighborhoods. He inspired a $2.5 million restoration of the St. James’ Church building in Baltimore, Md., after a fire.  The St. James’ After School Academy was designated a Jubilee Ministry by Presiding Bishop Edmund Browning. He has a national preaching and teaching ministry, having been featured on The Protestant Hour and as a frequent speaker at conferences around the country.  He has received honorary degrees from Sewanee and Yale. Born in Chicago, Ill., in 1953 to an Episcopal priest and his wife.

Bishop Curry attended public schools in Buffalo, N.Y., and graduated with high honors from Hobart College in Geneva, N.Y.  He received the Master of Divinity degree in 1978 from Yale University Divinity School. He has also done continued study at The College of Preachers, Princeton Theological Seminary, Wake Forest University, The Ecumenical Institute at St. Mary’s Seminary and the Institute of Christian Jewish Studies. Bishop Curry was ordained to the diaconate in June 1978 and to the priesthood in December of that year.  He began his ministry as deacon-in-charge at St. Stephen’s, Winston Salem, N.C, in 1978 and was rector there from 1979-1982.  He served as rector at St. Simon of Cyrene, Lincoln Heights, Ohio, from 1982-1988, and as rector of St. James’, Baltimore, Md., until his election as bishop in February of 2000.  He was consecrated in June 2000 at Duke Chapel on the campus of Duke University in Durham, N.C.  Bishop Curry and his wife, the former Sharon Clement, have two daughters, Rachel and Elizabeth.

The Opening Appalachian Folk Eucharist is scheduled for 7:30 on Thursday evening at St. James’, Prestonsburg, and will feature traditional mountain music and hymns performed on fiddle, guitar, dulcimer and banjo. The theme of “We are family” will be celebratory of the life of the diocese and continue the important theme of education — “To teach, to love,” according to convention planners.  In keeping with the theme, a special video presentation on Friday will feature noted Kentuckians David Dick, former CBS correspondent and author, and his son Sam Dick, Lexington TV news anchor, to highlight educational mission in the Diocese of Lexington.  Friday’s agenda includes the business of convention, and a Friday evening mountain-style family supper, followed by a traditional square dance, complete with local dance caller Ron Vanover, and the mountain string band Stay Tuned, made up of musicians Deborah Thompson, Ron Penn and Donavan Cain.  Dress for the supper and dance should be “very casual and appropriate for square dancing.”

Registration forms and fees are due in the Diocesan Office.  Convention packets will be mailed to registrants and should be brought to convention. Rooms are available at Jenny Wiley by calling 1-800-325-0142; reservations should be made by Feb. 4, 2004. For further convention information, call 859-252-6527, 1-888-811-6715 or go to the Diocesan Web page at www.diolex.org.

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