My friend, Jieun Kim Newland, told me she had been looking forward to the presentation by The Right Rev. Michael Curry at the Association of Anglican Musicians conference because she had read his book — twice — in addition to listening to the audio book version. She found it to be most inspiring and encouraged people to read it.

So when she went downstairs for a quick trip to the exhibits and unexpectedly saw him in the elevator she was flabbergasted! “But I didn’t have my phone to take a selfie!” she wailed. 

Luckily Wyatt Smith was in the elevator and had his phone with him. You can see him in the mirror, to the left, taking the photo! (Wyatt Smith came to Hawaii in 2013 and was our houseguest for five days while he played a recital at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Honolulu.)

In case you’re not familiar with Bishop Michael Curry, here’s a short bio:

The Rt. Rev. Michael Bruce Curry served as the 27th presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church. At the church’s 78th General Convention in June 2015, he was elected to a nine-year term in this role and installed in November of that year.

Throughout his ministry, Bishop Curry has been a prophetic leader, particularly in the areas of racial reconciliation, climate change, evangelism, immigration policy, and marriage equality. The animating vision and message of his ministry is Jesus of Nazareth and his way of radical, sacrificial love, and he regularly reminds Episcopalians they are “the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement.”

Bishop Curry was ordained a priest in 1978 and served parishes in North Carolina, Ohio, and Maryland until his 2000 election as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. He graduated with high honors from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and earned his Master of Divinity degree from Yale University. Bishop Curry is the author of five books and a regular guest on national and international media outlets. He retired in 2024.The whole assembly was treated to his humorous and insightful perspective on life. These are just a few of the notes I took as he kept us roaring with laughter. 

I remember Bishop Curry as the preacher for the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.

In the presentation to the Association of Anglician Musicians, he said he was looking forward to hearing the singing of the assembly of choirmasters and organists because “he has attended bishops and clergy meetings where the singing was loud and robust but not necessarily the notes on the page!”

His formal presentation to AAM took place on the last day of the conference, and was instantly engaging, filled with humor, and causing the whole assembly to burst out in spontaneous laughter. Here are some of his remarks which I wrote down:

He went to the first No Kings protest and thought he was at an ECW (Episcopal Church Women) event.

Before making some slightly political remarks, he said, “I’m not presiding bishop anymore!” Suffice to say that in his remarks about the current administration, he said “A pharaoh will come who knew not Joseph.” This was actually a quote from Exodus.

Keep the faith. Don’t give up. One hundred years from now, the Episcopal Church will still be here. Keep singing the songs of Zion ; music can lift you up in the way words cannot. Let us march on until victory is won.

Sing your song; someone is being moved by your music. The healthiest Christian communities are those who do live primarily for themselves; a lighthouse and a beacon of hope. 

Totalitarianism thrives in fear. But God will always have a witness. 

The members of AAM responded with an spontaneous standing ovation. Hey, I’m a fangirl too, after hearing him speak!

Thursday afternoon was the closing Eucharist and Bishop Curry was the Celebrant. It was preceded by a duet recital by Ray and Elizabeth Chenault, a husband-wife duo organist couple who have been partners since the age of 18.

Specializing in and exclusively performing works written for four hands and four feet at one pipe organ console, Elizabeth and Raymond Chenault (“The World’s Premiere Duo-Organ Team,” Atlanta Journal & Constitution) have made a monumental and unmatched contribution to the pipe organ repertoire through their commissioning, premiering, and recording of over 70 organ duets in a wide array of styles, from composers such as John Rutter, Stephen Paulus, Rachel Laurin, and others, to their own arrangements of Christmas carols, opera arias and overtures, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera.

The final event was a closing banquet at the Capital City Club Brookhaven which even made an ice sculpture for the Association of Anglican Musicians! It was an opportunity to meet even more of our esteemed colleagues.

This has been a fantastic conference and I’m looking forward to going to another one, perhaps next year (Cambridge, England) or the year after (St. Louis).