List of religious leaders in 2007
2006 religious leaders - Events of 2007 - 2008 religious leaders - Religious leaders by year
Note: Some religions reject the idea of having a leader or leading council in such a way that they can not be listed. When possible/plausible a leading figure will be named, but in some cases this will not be possible or desirable.
Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism
Theravada Buddhism
Vajrayana Buddhism
Christianity
Catholicism
Roman Catholic Church
- Roman Catholic Church as a whole, and Latin Rite -Benedict XVI, Pope (2005–present)
- Coptic Catholic Church - Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria (2006–present)
- Ethiopic Catholic Church - Berhaneyesus Demerew, Archbishop of Addis Ababa (1999–present)
- Maronite Catholic Church - Nasrallah Sfeir, Maronite Patriarch (1986–present)
- Syriac Catholic Church - Ignatius Pierre VIII, Patriarch of Antioch (2001–present)
- Syro-Malankara Catholic Church - Isaac Mar Cleemis, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum (2007–present)
- Armenian Catholic Church - Nerses Bedros XIX, Patriarch of the Catholic Armenians (1999–present)
- Chaldean Catholic Church – Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church (2003–present)
- Syro-Malabar Catholic Church - Varkey Vithayathil, Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly (1999–present)
- Albanian Catholic Church - Hil Kabashi, Apostolic Administrator (1996–present)
- Belarusian Catholic Church - Sergiusz Gajek, Archimandrite, Visitator "ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" (1993–present)
- Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church - Christo Proykov, Exarch in Sofia (Bulgaria) (1995–present)
- Eparchy of Križevci - Slavomir Miklovš, Eparch of Križevci (1983–present)
- Greek Catholic Church - Anarghyros Printesis, Exarch in Athens (Greece) (1975–present)
- Hungarian Catholic Church - Szilárd Keresztes, Archbishop of Hajdúdorog (1988–present)
- Italo-Albanian Church - Ercole Lupinacci, Bishop of Lungro degli Italo-Albanesi (1987–present); Sotìr Ferrara, Bishop of Piana degli Albanesi(1989–present)
- Macedonian Catholic Church -Kiro Stojanov, Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia (2005–present)
- Melkite Greek-Catholic Church - Grégoire III Laham, Patriarch of the Melkite Catholic Church (2000–present)
- Romanian Greek-Catholic Church - Lucian Mureşan, Major Archbishop of Fagaras e Alba Iulia (Romania) (1994–present)
- Russian Catholic Church - Vacant
- Ruthenian Greek-Catholic Church - Milan Sasik, Apostolic Administrator of Mukachevo (2002–present); Basil Myron Schott, Metropolitan of Pittsburgh (2002–present)
- Slovak Greek Catholic Church - Ján Babjak, Bishop of Prešov (2002–present)
- Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church - Lubomyr Husar, Major Archbishop of Kiev and Halych (of Lviv until 2005) (2000–present)
Mariavite groups
Liberal and Independent Catholic Churches
Traditionalist Catholicism
National or regional movements
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern orthodox churches in Communion
- Constantinople - Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome (1991–present)
- Alexandria - Theodore II, Greek Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, Libya, Pentapolis, Ethiopia, All Egypt and All Africa (2004–present)
- Antioch - Ignatius IV, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East (1979–present)
- Jerusalem - Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine, Syria, beyond the Jordan River, Cana of Galilee, and Holy Zion (2005–present)
- Russia - Alexius II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1990–present)
- Serbia - Pavle of Serbia, Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Patriarch of the Serbs (1990–present)
- Romania -
- Bulgaria - Maxim of Bulgaria, Patriarch of All Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Sofia (1971–present)
- Georgia - Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi (1977–present)
- Cyprus - Chrysostomos II, Archbishop of Nea Justiniana and All Cyprus(2006–present)
- Greece - Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece (1998–present)
- Poland - Sawa, Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland (1998–present)
- Albania - Anastasios of Albania, Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania (1992–present)
- Czechia and Slovakia - Christopher Metropolitan of All Czechia and Slovakia (2006–present)
- North America -The Orthodox Church of America-(The OCA's autocephaly is not currently recognized by all other autocephalous Orthodox Churches ) - Herman (Swaiko), Metropolitan of All America and Canada (2002–present)
Autonomous Orthodox Churches in Communion
Schismatic Orthodox Churches not currently in Communion
Old Believers not currently in Communion
- Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Russia - Oleg Ivanovich Rozanov (?-present)
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Belarus - Pyotr Alexandrovich Orlov (2001–present)
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Latvia - Alexy Karatayev (?-present)
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Lithuania - Nikolay Pilnikov (2002–present)
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Poland - Feodosy Novichenko (1993–present)
- Lipovan Orthodox Old-Rite Church - Leonty (Izotov) (1996–present)
- Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church - Korniliy (Titov) (2005–present)
- Russian Old-Orthodox Church - A. Alexander of Novozybkov, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (2000–present)
Oriental Orthodox
-
-
-
-
Anglicanism
Provinces of the Anglican Communion
-
-
-
-
- Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop (2006–present)
- George L.W. Werner, President of the House of Deputies (2000–present)
Continuing Anglicanism
-
-
- Robert Morse, Bishop Ordinary (1977–2007)
- James E. Provence, Bishop (2007–present)
-
-
Protestant churches
Baptist
Lutheran
- Karl R. Gurgel, President (1993–2007)
- Mark Schroeder, President (2007–present)
Pentecostal
Other
Other Christian or Christian-derived faiths
- Assyrian Church of the East – Mar Dinkha IV, Patriarch (1976–present)
- Ancient Church of the East – Mar Addai II, Patriarch (1969–present)
- Community of Christ - Stephen M. Veazey, President (2005–present)
- National Council of Churches USA - Robert W. Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA (2000–present)
- World Council of Churches - Samuel Kobia, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (2004–present)
- New Apostolic Church - Wilhelm Leber, Chief Apostle of the New Apostolic Church (2005–present)
- Shakers - Sister Frances Carr (acts as Eldress and Trustee if not as leader per se as the group is egalitarian) (?-present)
- Swedenborgian Church of North America - Christine Laitner, President (2003–present)
- General Church of the New Jerusalem (Swedenborgian) - Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Kline, Executive Bishop (?-present)
- Christian Science -
- Board of Directors, J. Thomas Black, Walter Jones, Chair, Nate Talbot, Mary Trammell, Vic Westberg (2005–present)
- Unitarian Universalist Association - Rev. William G. Sinkford, President (2001–present)
- Members Church of God International - Bro. Eliseo F. Soriano, Presiding Minister (1977–present)
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) - Gordon B. Hinckley, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1995–2008)
- Iglesia ni Cristo - Eraño G. Manalo (1963–present)
- Jehovah's Witnesses -
- Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses - Carey Barber (1977–2007), John Barr (1977–2010), Samuel Herd (1999–present), Geoffrey Jackson (2005–present), Theodore Jaracz (1974–2010), Steve Lett (1999–present), Gerrit Lösch (1994–present), Anthony Morris (2005–present), Guy Pierce (1999–present), David Splane (1999–present)
- Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania - Don A. Adams, President (2000–present)
- Kimbanguist Church - Joseph Diangienda (1960–1992)
- Mita Congregation - Teofilo Vargas Sein (1970–present)
- Providence Church - Jung Myung Seok (1980–present)
- Unification Church - Sun Myung Moon (1954–present)
- Universal Church of the Kingdom of God - Edir Macedo (1979–present)
- Unitarian Universalist Association - William G. Sinkford, President (2001–2009)
Islam
Sunni Islam
Note: It is important to mention Sunni Islam has no leaders as the term is understood in the Christian world. There is currently no caliph. Even when the caliphate was active it was not equivalent to a "Pope" or "Dalai Lama". In fact such a thing could well be deemed shirk in orthodox Sunni circles. The following people are mentioned to add Sunni content as they are leading figures.
- Al-Azhar Universityالأزهر الشريف - Muhammad Sayid Tantawy, Imam (?-present)
- Egyptian Muslim Scholar- Shaikh al-Islam Yusuf al-Qaradawi
- Jerusalem - Sheikh Ekrima Sa'id Sabri, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (As a Grand Mufti he has a degree of legal authority in Sunni Islam without being its leader) (?-present)
- Egypt - Shaikh Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Arab Republic of Egypt (?-present)
- Pakistan - Shaikh Muhammad Rafi Usmani, Grand Mufti of Islamic Republic of Pakistan (?-present)
- Saudi Arabia - Shaikh Abdul-Azeez ibn Abdullaah Aal ash-Shaikh, Grand Mufti of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (?-present)
- Tunisia - Shaikh Kamal-u-Din Ja'eit, Grand Mufti of Tunisia (?-present)
- Uzbekistan - Shaikh Abdurahman Bakhromov, Grand Mufti of Uzbekistan (?-present)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina - Shaikh Mustafa Ef. Cerić, Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina (?-present)
- Russia - Shaikh Ravil Gainutdin, Grand Mufti of Russian Federation (?-present)
- France - Shaikh Soheib Bencheikh, Grand Mufti of France (?-present)
Islam: others
Islam or Islam derived
Jainism
Judaism
Note: As with Islam these leaders may not necessarily have that much authority, it varies from group to group.
- Elazar ben Tsedaka, High Priest (2004–present)
Sikhism
Other
Bahá'í
Western origin
Indian subcontinent origin
New Religions
Some of these new religions are classified as "sects" in several countries.
Eastern or Hindu derived
Speculative science derived
External links
References
- ^ "Southern Baptist Convention - President's Page - Welcome". Sbc.net. http://www.sbc.net/PresidentsPage/FrankPage/bio.asp. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ^ "Topic Galleries". mcall.com. http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-4swart-5rjan30,0,3904539.story. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ^ "David Miscavige: A Biography of, and resources on, David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center". Davidmiscavige.rtc.org. http://davidmiscavige.rtc.org/eng/bio/miscavige.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ^ "Scientology News: Religious News, Beliefs, Articles, Pictures, Press Releases | Church of Scientology International". Scientology.org. http://www.scientology.org/scnnews/jentzsch.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-02.