Michael Curry Appointed as First black Bishop of US Episcopal Church

The US Episcopal Church has designated Sunday its first black bishop, Michael Curry.

According to Mashable, 62-year-old Curry succeeded Katharine Jefferts Schori who led the church for nine years. She was the first woman leader of the Episcopal Church. Curry was the leader of the Diocese of North Carolina for 15 years before he was elected last summer as the head of the church.

Curry encouraged the Episcopalians to spread the good news by crossing divides of race, wealth, and education. "God has not given up on the world and God is not finished with the Episcopal Church yet," he said.

According to the CDA Church, the US Episcopal Church is rooted from the Church of England. However, it is separated. This denomination is often reputed as "protestant yet Catholic." It has elements of the Lutherian and Protestant church, as well as the Catholic Church itself.

The New York-based denomination has been through turbulent years before Curry became the leader, according to BG Daily News. It has suffered membership losses and it is facing tension regarding the support for gay rights, as well as same-sex marriage. Its support for gay rights caused tensions to rise against fellow Anglicans. Its membership dropped by over 18 percent for the last ten years. Curry's appointment also comes after racial tensions spur across the country with the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and the killing of the nine black congregants at a church in Charleston, S.C.

Other religious groups are also suffering from declining numbers of membership. Curry said he wants to increase the visibility of the church through "positive and genuine" ways. He also said he aims to focus on recruiting new people in the religious group. The Episcopal Church now has a total of 1.9 million members. This January, Curry will be representing the US church at the national Anglican leaders meeting on the split in their groups.