Who is Reverend Michael Curry, the preacher at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are officially husband and wife! The royal wedding was everything we wanted it to be (and more), and there were so many moments worth talking about: Meghan’s gorgeous Givenchy wedding dress, Charlotte’s adorable debut as a bridesmaid, Prince Harry’s sweet words to Meghan as she completed her walk down the aisle, and, of course, the preacher who gave a passionate and powerful sermon that everyone can’t stop talking about. In fact, you might say he almost stole the show, which is pretty hard to do when it comes to the royal family. So you might be wondering: Who is Reverend Michael Curry?
Given his tone and words, it’s not surprising to note that Reverend Michael Curry is from the United States — Chicago, specifically. Also known as Bishop Curry, he became the first black presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church (which is part of the Anglican Communion) when he was appointed in 2015.
Reverend Michael Curry has been involved with the church for a very long time. He was ordained as a priest in 1978, and since then, he has done a lot of inspiring work. In 2015, Bishop Curry defended the Episcopal Church’s move to allow same sex couples to marry in church. This was something that had caused many other churches to cut ties with them. He is responsible for saving more than 100,000 lives after helping the church fund malaria nets. Recently, he pushed for family day care providers, educational centers, and investment in inner-city neighborhoods in North Carolina, Ohio, and Maryland, his three parish ministries.
Reverend Michael Curry’s sermon at the royal wedding was certainly not the only time he has spoken about the power of love in such an important way. He is known for speaking about social justice, marriage equality, and immigration policy.
According to BBC, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, who officiated the royal ceremony, said he was “thrilled” that Harry and Meghan had chosen Bishop Curry, saying he is a “brilliant pastor, stunning preacher.”
That is definitely a great way to describe Curry’s words, which moved audiences watching the ceremony around the world. He quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his sermon while speaking about the power of love.
"We must discover the power of love, the power, the redemptive power of love. And when we discover that we will be able to make of this old world a new world."
"There's power in love — don't underestimate it. Don't even over-sentimentalise it. If you don't believe me, think about a time when you first fell in love. The whole world seemed to centre around you and your beloved."
As wonderful as Bishop Curry’s sermon was, he may have just been winging it.
When asked how he was preparing for the ceremony, he told CBS, “I have no idea, I’m just going to show up… I’ll never forget my daddy told me when I was fairly new as a priest, he said just always be who you really are. Don’t pretend to be someone else.”
As many Twitter users noted, Bishop Curry’s style is probably something Brits aren’t very used to in the U.K.
I vowed not to tweet about the #RoyalWedding but I am LOVING how un-British and how un-UK-royal the sermon is right now and how the very very white and constrained royal family members are struggling to handle it. Bishop Michael Curry is an absolute legend. ✨❤️✨
— Bel Trew (@Beltrew) May 19, 2018
Passionate address from Reverend Michael Curry gets laughs and smiles from the royals and their guests pic.twitter.com/Ucl4fjoKfo
— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 19, 2018
When you are new to this type of
“ preaching “ #royalwedding pic.twitter.com/qBj8yiffBS
— S🦋 (@guyanesee) May 19, 2018
This wedding needed Bishop Michael Curry's energy and we should all be grateful to Meghan for that #RoyalWedding
— Michelle Collins (@michcoll) May 19, 2018
Rev Michael Curry is really tearing this up. Hard to imagine this church has ever heard a sermon this animated. #royalwedding
— Annabel Crabb (@annabelcrabb) May 19, 2018
"Love is the only way" – Meghan and Harry hold hands and smile through Reverend Michael Curry's address pic.twitter.com/ObeZe8iova
— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 19, 2018
Okay- YES to gospel choirs in Windsor Castle. YES to Bishop Michael Curry. YES to unbridled passion in preaching (and YES to how uncomfortable it made some people in those pews). This #RoyalWedding2018 is EVERYTHING.
— Cantor Tamara Wolfson (@Tamara_Wolfson) May 19, 2018
We love that Bishop Curry made the sermon so powerful. It was the perfect American twist for this union.