Featuring Bishop Yehiel Curry

Excavating and (Re)Forming Leadership from within the Community

January 20th and 21st, 2022

The Trout Lectures honor the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Nelson W. Trout (1920-1996). He was a Trinity Lutheran Seminary alumnus, a member of the Trinity faculty, and the first African American elected to serve as a Lutheran bishop. His vibrant preaching and commitment to social ministry inspired hundreds of seminary students and touched thousands of lives. As always, this year's Lectures are held in his honor.  

 REGISTRATION FOR THE NELSON W. TROUT LECTURES IS FREE.  REGISTER HERE.

Trinity is delighted to announce that the 2022 Nelson W. Trout Lectures will feature Bishop Yehiel Curry, who currently serves as the Bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Schedule of Events

Thursday, January 20th
3:00pm - Afternoon Lecture from Bishop Curry
7:00pm - Evening Worship Service with Bishop Curry Preaching

Friday, January 21st
10:00am - Closing Lecture with Bishop Curry
11:30am - Community Lunch
1:00pm - Conversation with Black Church Clergy: "Fostering a Seminary and Black Church Relations: Where Do We Go From Here?" (All are welcome)

REGISTRATION FOR THE NELSON W. TROUT LECTURES IS FREE.  REGISTER HERE.

Bishop Yehiel Curry

Rev. Yehiel Curry was born, raised and still resides on the south side of Chicago with his wife of 25 years, Lashonda and their three daughters: Shemiah, Ashirah and Shekinah. His first involvement with ordained ministry was an uncommon one. Similarly, the congregation he served had an uncommon beginning as well. Shekinah Chapel Lutheran Church in Riverdale, Illinois, grew out of a youth development and mentoring program for young African-American men called, Safe in My Brothers Arms (SIMBA), on the south side of Chicago. 

Yehiel Curry attended Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, where he received a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Secondary Education in 1995. After four years in the social service field, Yehiel Curry spent another four years teaching 6th grade Social Studies at Doolittle East Middle School, a Chicago Public School nestled in the Ida B. Wells public housing projects. 

In 1997, he was part of a team that was helping to organize a new worshiping community in Chicago with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). In 2007, Yehiel Curry began serving as the lay Mission Developer of Shekinah Chapel. Rev. Yehiel Curry was ordained on April 26, 2009 after two years of study at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) through the Theological Education for Emerging Ministries (TEEM) program. In 2012, Shekinah Chapel became an organized congregation of the ELCA and in 2013, Pastor Curry received his Master of Divinity from LSTC. 

Rev. Yehiel Curry served as board member for Rescue, Release and Restore, Inc. NFP (RRR) – a mentoring organization with programs in six cities. RRR focuses on conflict resolution, rites of passage and cultural expression and houses the SIMBA/ Safe in My Sisters’ Arms (SIMSA) camps for African American youth and the MYLA Camp – a multicultural leadership camp in partnership with Living Water Ministries in Michigan. 

Pastor Curry was blessed to minister God’s word in Liberia & Rwanda, Africa; before 35,000 youth at the Youth Gathering; at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly and various synods throughout the U.S. 

On June 8, 2019, Rev. Yehiel Curry was elected to Bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod. 

Bishop Curry is a past contributor to an ELCA worship resource, Sundays and Seasons and has authored Bring them in, train them up and ship them out and Rods and Blessing for other ELCA publications. 

Bishop Curry is the recipient of: 

• The Ark of St. Sabina - Dream Maker Award 
• Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation (SOUL) – Leader of the Year 
• Metro Chicago Synod AA strategy team – Spirit of Timothy Award 
• Rev. John Steinbruck – Leadership Award 
• Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago – Distinguish Alumni Award 
• ELCA Youth Ministry Network – The Tom Hunstad Award 

Bishop Curry’s life’s journey informs and influences his apprenticeship model of mentorship which maintains that you should make a friend before you try to make a member because it’s easier to quit on a denomination and harder to quit on a friend.

Support the Trout Endowment

The Nelson W. Trout Lectures are, in part, endowment supported. To support the Trout Lectures, please give online.
Please note: When asked for designation, select "Other" and then write in "Trout Endowment"

Contact

Please email Tori McGraw-Rowe with questions or call 614-236-6612.