# List of presiding bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America

This is a list of the Presiding Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States. Initially the position of Presiding Bishop rotated geographically. After 1795 the Presiding Bishop was the senior bishop in order of consecration. Starting in 1926, the office became elective, the Presiding Bishop being chosen at General Convention by vote by all bishops, and approved by the House of Deputies. The office now has a nine-year term. Since 1938 the Presiding Bishop has been required to resign his or her former diocese after accepting election.

## Presiding Bishop rotated by geographical area

| No. | Presiding Bishop | Took office | Left office | Diocese | Length of term |
| 1 | William White | July 28, 1789 | October 3, 1789 | Pennsylvania | 67 days |
| 2 | Samuel Seabury | October 5, 1789 | September 8, 1792 | Connecticut | 2 years, 339 days |
| 3 | Samuel Provoost | September 13, 1792 | September 8, 1795 | New York | 2 years, 360 days |

## Presiding Bishop by seniority

| No. | Presiding Bishop | Took office | Left office | Diocese | Length of term |
| 4 | William White | September 8, 1795 | July 17, 1836 | Pennsylvania | 40 years, 313 days |
| 5 | Alexander Viets Griswold | July 17, 1836 | February 15, 1843 | Eastern | 6 years, 213 days |
| 6 | Philander Chase | February 15, 1843 | September 20, 1852 | Illinois | 9 years, 218 days |
| 7 | Thomas Church Brownell | September 20, 1852 | January 13, 1865 | Connecticut | 12 years, 115 days |
| 8 | John Henry Hopkins | January 13, 1865 | January 9, 1868 | Vermont | 2 years, 361 days |
| 9 | Benjamin Smith | January 9, 1868 | May 31, 1884 | Kentucky | 16 years, 143 days |
| 10 | Alfred Lee | May 31, 1884 | April 12, 1887 | Delaware | 2 years, 316 days |
| 11 | John Williams | April 12, 1887 | February 7, 1899 | Connecticut | 11 years, 301 days |
| 12 | Thomas M. Clark | February 7, 1899 | September 7, 1903 | Rhode Island | 4 years, 243 days |
| 13 | Daniel S. Tuttle | September 7, 1903 | April 17, 1923 | Missouri | 19 years, 222 days |
| 14 | Alexander Charles Garrett | April 17, 1923 | February 18, 1924 | Dallas | 307 days |
| 15 | Ethelbert Talbot | February 18, 1924 | January 1, 1926 | Central Pennsylvania | 1 year, 317 days |

## Presiding Bishop by election

| No. | Presiding Bishop | Took office | Left office | Previous diocese | Length of term |
| 16 | John Gardner Murray | January 1, 1926 | October 3, 1929 | Maryland | 3 years, 275 days |
| 17 | Charles P. Anderson | November 13, 1929 | January 30, 1930 | Chicago | 78 days |
| 18 | James DeWolf Perry | March 26, 1930 | December 31, 1937 | Rhode Island | 7 years, 280 days |
| 19 | Henry St. George Tucker | January 1, 1938 | December 31, 1946 | Virginia | 8 years, 364 days |
| 20 | Henry Knox Sherrill | January 1, 1947 | November 14, 1958 | Massachusetts | 11 years, 317 days |
| 21 | Arthur C. Lichtenberger | November 15, 1958 | October 12, 1964 | Missouri | 5 years, 332 days |
| 22 | John E. Hines | January 1, 1965 | May 31, 1974 | Texas | 9 years, 150 days |
| 23 | John Allin | June 1, 1974 | December 31, 1985 | Mississippi | 11 years, 213 days |
| 24 | Edmond L. Browning | January 1, 1986 | December 31, 1997 | Hawaii | 11 years, 364 days |
| 25 | Frank T. Griswold | January 1, 1998 | November 1, 2006 | Chicago | 8 years, 304 days |
| 26 | Katharine Jefferts Schori | November 1, 2006 | November 1, 2015 | Nevada | 9 years, 0 days |
| 27 | Michael Bruce Curry | November 1, 2015 | November 1, 2024 | North Carolina | 9 years, 0 days |
| 28 | Sean W. Rowe | November 1, 2024 | ― | Northwestern Pennsylvania | 98 days |