Apresiding bishop is anecclesiastical position in somedenominations ofChristianity.
ThePresiding Bishop of theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is the chief ecumenical officer of the church, and the leader and caretaker for the bishops of the synods. The presiding bishop chairs the biennial Church-wide Assembly and provides for the preparation of agendas for the assembly, the Church Council and its executive committee, the Conference of Bishops, and the Cabinet of Executives. The Presiding Bishop of the ELCA is elected to a six-year term, available for re-election and is charged with initiating policy, developing strategy and overseeing administration of the entire church. The presiding bishop also serves as a figurehead and speaks on behalf of the entire church.
The ELCA has had five Presiding Bishops.Herbert W. Chilstrom, from 1987-1995,H. George Anderson, from 1995-2001,Mark Hanson, from 2001-2013,Elizabeth Eaton, first female bishop from 2013-2025, andYehiel Curry, beginning his term in 2025.
ThePresiding Bishop of theEvangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany (Nordkirche) is the senior (metropolitan) bishop and principal leader of the Nordkirche, a Landeskirche (member church) ofEvangelische Kirche in Deutschland. In German, Nordkirche uses the titleLandesbischof (literally:State Bishop). She or he got her or his see inSchwerin. They are the primus inter pares of the three bishops in the dioceses (Sprengel). They chair the Conference of Bishops (Bischofsrat) and the Church Executive Board (Kirchenleitung). First Presiding Bishop was Gerhard Ulrich. He was retired in spring of 2019. His successor isKristina Kühnbaum-Schmidt.
TheEvangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), a mainline Lutheran body similar to the ELCA, uses the term "national bishop" for a similar position. Most otherLutheran churches in North America, especially theConfessional Lutheran bodies use a congregationalist structure and call their national leaders "president." The Lutheran Churches of Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Nigeria all use the termArchbishop.
In theAnglican Communion (the worldwide family of independent churches following the tradition of theChurch of England), several churches' primates are called Presiding Bishop. Among them are theAnglican Episcopal Church of Brazil, theAnglican Church of South America and theEpiscopal Church (United States); the primate ofEpiscopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East is called "president bishop".
In theEpiscopal Church in the United States of America, thePresiding Bishop is the chiefpastor andprimate of the national church and itsnine ecclesiastical provinces.[1] The Presiding Bishop is charged with responsibility for leadership in initiating, developing, and articulating policy and strategy, overseeing the administration of the national church staff, and speaking for the church on issues of concern and interest.[1] They are the president of theHouse of Bishops and is elected by the church'sGeneral Convention to serve a nine-year term.[2] The correct clerical style for the Presiding Bishop is "The Most Reverend".
The role and importance of the office has grown over time.[3] Originally, the Presiding Bishop was simply the senior diocesanbishop who presided over the House of Bishops. In 1919, the office was transformed into an elected one, and in the 1940s the decision was made that the Presiding Bishop should resign any other jurisdictions for which they might have pastoral responsibility. In this respect, the office is different from that of manyarchbishops found in other churches in theAnglican Communion which have diocesan responsibilities in addition to overseeing a national church. In the 1970s, the presiding bishop was given authority to enter dioceses forsacramental and preaching ministry, consulting with bishops, and related purposes. The presiding bishop was given the title of primate in 1982. As of November 2024,Sean W. Rowe holds the position.
Stephen Elliott, first bishop ofGeorgia was the only Presiding Bishop of theProtestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America.
Ray R. Sutton is the current Presiding Bishop. This church claims to continueapostolic succession throughGeorge D. Cummins who left theEpiscopal Church, USA in the 19th century.
The Constitution of the United Episcopal Church of North America refers to the senior bishop as the Presiding Bishop, but within the denomination he is informally referred to as the Archbishop – a hangover from the 1981/4 version of the UECNA Constitution and Canons. The Presiding Bishop acts as Chairman of the House of Bishops and the National Council, and asprimus inter pares or 'first among equals'. The Constitution and Canons were modified in 1992 (confirmed in 1996), with the title for the senior bishop reverting to 'Presiding Bishop.' However, the change of title never really caught on, and the 2011 General Convention of the UECNA codified the common custom of referring to the senior bishop as 'Archbishop' by modifying Canon 3 - Of the Presiding Bishop - to reflect this. However, the formal title remains 'Presiding Bishop' and is used in formal documents. The UECNA derives its historic episcopate from theEpiscopal Church viaAlbert A. Chambers and the Anglican Catholic Church, and also from the Philippine Independent Catholic Church through that church's now defunctAnglican Rite Jurisdiction of the Americas. Unlike the Episcopal Church, the Presiding Bishop of the United Episcopal Church may retain his diocese after election, and does not serve a fixed term, but is expected to resign following the election of a successor at the General Convention prior to the incumbent's 72nd birthday. In the event of an unexpected vacancy occurring, the senior bishop by date of consecration having jurisdiction serves as Presiding Bishop until an election can take place. The present holder of the office isPeter D. Robinson.
ThePresiding Bishop is a role in the church hierarchy of several denominations of theLatter Day Saint movement. Each Presiding Bishop has two counselors; the three together form thePresiding Bishopric.
The position shares its origin with that ofbishop.Edward Partridge was the first man ordained to the office of bishop in the earlyChurch of Christ on February 4, 1831. Partridge became known as theFirst Bishop and later the "Presiding Bishop" when subordinate bishops were called in theNauvoo period (1839–44).
After the1844 succession crisis, the role of Presiding Bishop evolved separately in different denominations of the movement.
Inthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement,[4] the Presiding Bishop is the highest leadership position within the church'sAaronic priesthood. The three members of the Presiding Bishopric serve as churchgeneral authorities and oversee the church's temporal affairs (buildings, properties, commercial corporations, etc.) throughout the world.
Along with theFirst Presidency and theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Presiding Bishopric is a part of theCouncil on the Disposition of the Tithes, which oversees and authorizes the expenditure of alltithing funds. The Presiding Bishopric is also responsible for overseeing the church's Aaronic priesthood, although most of the work in this area is delegated to theYoung Men General Presidency.
Since October 2015, the church's Presiding Bishop has beenGérald Caussé.[5]
The Presiding Bishopric ofCommunity of Christ, the second largest denomination, are the chief financial officers and trustees of the church. As such, they are trustees in trust for all church property, including local congregational facilities. They are responsible for the administration of the temporal affairs of the whole church. They lead the Order of Bishops in providing support and mentoring to the financial officers of congregations and mission centers. The Presiding Bishopric serves also as the presidency of the Aaronic priesthood and leads the Order of Bishops in providing support, training, and advocacy in empowering the Aaronic Ministers. They direct the stewardship education efforts of the church and lead financial development efforts with major donors. The Presiding Bishopric is a part of the World Church Leadership Council, along with the First Presidency and Council of Twelve Apostles. They also serve as members of the World Church Finance Board, which proposes budgets to the World Conference for approval.
The current Presiding Bishop of the church is Ronald D. Harmon Jr., with Willem van Klinken and Carla K. Long as counselors.[6]
Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
In theRemnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a man recognized as a "literal descendant ofAaron" (or Kohanim) can, under the direction of the First Presidency, hold the role of Presiding Bishop alone, without counselors. At this time, the only man to hold the title of Presiding Bishop under these conditions is W. Kevin Romer.[7]
The current presiding bishop of theChurch Of God In Christ is BishopJ. Drew Sheard,[8] pastor of Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church Of God In Christ located in Detroit, Michigan. The Presiding Bishop is elected every four years by the COGIC General Assembly and Board of Bishops, along with eleven other Bishops who are in charge of executing and overseeing the religious, civil, and economic bylaws and ministries of the denomination, and who work alongside the delegates of the General Assembly and Board of Bishops to provide administration over the denomination.[8][9] As a result of the 2020 global COVID-19 pandemic, the Quadrennial Election (usually held before the church's Holy Convocation) was postponed until 2021, where Sheard was elected.