Lutheran Bishop Yehiel Curry to speak on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The Rev. Yehiel Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, will give the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Day keynote address at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 19, in the Center for Faith and Life (CFL) Main Hall on Luther College’s campus. The theme of the day and Curry’s talk is “Courage for the Common Good.”

The program begins with a community singing gathering at 9:30 a.m. in the CFL. All are invited to lift their voices and join in the musical selections for the day’s program. No experience is required, just a willingness to participate in a shared sound that brings people together

In his keynote address, Curry will highlight how “Courage for the Common Good” represents the shared legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and Martin Luther, both of whom embodied the moral courage needed to confront injustice while uplifting the people around them. This theme calls our community into bold, brave, benevolent action.

“Dr. King taught us that true courage is not the absence of fear but the willingness to act despite it,” Curry said. “As Lutherans, we believe that faith must be lived publicly, for the sake of others. Faith gives us the courage to confront injustice, to stand with the vulnerable, and work for the common good.”

The keynote address is presented in part by the Williams Endowment Fund.

A Martin Luther King Jr. Day community lunch and reflection will begin at noon in Luther’s Caf. Over a shared meal, attendees will be invited to engage in conversation sparked by Curry’s keynote lecture. Participants will reflect on what “Courage for the Common Good” might look like in their own lives and relationships. The cost for lunch is $10 for adults. Children and students are free. Attendees are encouraged to purchase lunch tickets in advance at tickets.luther.edu.

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his namesake, Martin Luther, both exemplified courage both in addressing systems of injustice and advocating for the needs of the neighbors in their midst,” said Robert Clay, chief equity and inclusion officer and assistant to the president for community engagement. “‘Courage for the Common Good’ invites all to bold, brave and benevolent action for the building of the beloved community.”

After lunch, Luther College is hosting two discussion sessions and both sessions begin at 1:15 p.m. During the Panel Conversation with ELCA Synodical Bishops, participants will have the opportunity to share in conversation with ELCA bishops from the local region about the ways that faith communities can embody courageous leadership in the world. This discussion will take place in the CFL Recial Hall.

Meanwhile, youth from local congregations and broader communities will meet directly with Curry to learn, ask questions, and explore leadership, service and calling during a Youth Engagement Session with Bishop Curry in Peace Dining Room. The session will encourage youth to see themselves as capable of shaping a better world right now and in the future.

Along with the opportunity to uplift and celebrate messages related to King’s legacy, the program is also one of the first opportunities for congregations across the region to hear Curry, who was elected on July 30, 2025, as the ELCA’s presiding bishop. He was officially installed into the position on Oct. 4, 2025.

Previously, he served as bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod, where he led a synod staff and 160 congregations by providing pastoral care, preaching, teaching, administering sacraments, and overseeing ordinations and installations. He was elected synod bishop in 2019 and reelected in spring 2025. During that time, he chaired the ELCA Conference of Bishops, fostering ecumenical relationships and theological engagement across the Lutheran communion.

Prior to his role as bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod, he served as the mission developer (2007–2012) and pastor (2013–2019) of Shekinah Chapel Lutheran Church in Riverdale, Ill. He earned a bachelor of arts from Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill., and a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. He and his wife, LaShonda, are the proud parents of three daughters.

“It is a joy and honor to welcome Bishop Curry to campus,” said Melissa Bills, college pastor and director of College Ministries. “Luther College is deeply connected to its Lutheran identity, both as a faith tradition and an intellectual tradition. This event serves as a reminder that this Lutheran identity is a living identity that calls us into compassionate and courageous engagement with our world. It’s exciting to bring people to campus for this event, and especially youth and young people.”