List of religious leaders in 2005
Encyclopedia
2004 religious leaders - Events of 2005 - 2006 religious leaders - Religious leaders by year
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 Sunni "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.
Note: As with Islam these leaders may not necessarily have that much authority, it varies from group to group.
Religious leaders by year
-Twenty-first century:-Twenty-first century:-Twenty-first century:::2011:2010 - 2009 - 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001-Twentieth century:::2000 - 1999 - 1998 - 1997 - 1996 - 1995 - 1994 - 1993 - 1992 - 1991...
Roman Catholic Church
- Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
- John Paul IIPope John Paul IIBlessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, PopePopeThe Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, Bishop of Rome (1978–2005) - Benedict XVIPope Benedict XVIBenedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
, PopePopeThe Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, Bishop of Rome (2005–present)
- John Paul II
- Coptic Catholic ChurchCoptic Catholic ChurchThe Coptic Catholic Church is an Alexandrian Rite particular Church in full communion with the Pope of Rome. Historically, Coptic Catholics represent a schism from the Coptic Orthodox Church, leaving that church in order to come into full communion with the Bishop of Rome.The current Coptic...
(Alexandrian RiteAlexandrian RiteThe Alexandrian Rite is officially called the Liturgy of Saint Mark, traditionally regarded as the first bishop of Alexandria. The Alexandrian Rite contains elements from the liturgy of Saint Basil, Cyril the Great, and Saint Gregory Nazianzus...
) - Stephanos II, Patriarch of AlexandriaPatriarch of AlexandriaThe Patriarch of Alexandria is the Archbishop of Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt. Historically, this office has included the designation of Pope , and did so earlier than that of the Bishop of Rome...
(1986–present) - Ethiopic Catholic Church (Alexandrian Rite) - Mgr Berhaneyesus Demerew, Archbishop of Addis-Ababa of Ethiopians (1999–present)
- Maronite Catholic Church (Antiochene RiteAntiochene RiteAntiochene Rite designates the family of liturgies originally used in the Patriarchate of Antioch.-Liturgies in the Antiochene Rite:The family of liturgies include the Apostolic Constitutions; then that of St. James in Greek, the Syriac Liturgy of St. James, and the other Syriac Anaphoras. The line...
) - Nasrallah Sfeir, Maronite Patriarch (1986–present) - Syrian Catholic Church (Antiochene Rite) - Ignatius Pierre VIII, Patriarch of AntiochPatriarch of AntiochPatriarch of Antioch is a traditional title held by the Bishop of Antioch. As the traditional "overseer" of the first gentile Christian community, the position has been of prime importance in the church from its earliest period...
(2001–present) - Syro-Malankarese Catholic Church (Antiochian Rite)
- Geevarghese Mar IvaniosGeevarghese Mar IvaniosGeevarghese Giovanni Giorgio Tommaso Panickerveetil aka Archbishop Aboon Geevarghese Mor Ivanios, Servant of God, OIC , born as Geevarghese Panickeruveetil, was a Christian bishop and the founder of the Bethany Ashram order of monks.- Childhood :Geevarghese Panicker was born in Mavelikkara, India,...
, Archbishop of Trivandrum (1932–1953) - Benedict Mar GregoriosBenedict Mar GregoriosArchbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios was the second Metropolitan Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church....
, Archbishop of Trivandrum (1953–1994) - Cyril Mar BaseliosCyril Mar BaseliosMajor Archbishop Moran Mor Cyril Baselios Catholcios Bava O.I.C. was the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church based in Trivandrum, Kerala...
, Archbishop of Trivandrum (1995–2005), Major Archbishop of Trivandrum (2005–2007) - Isaac Cleemis Thottunkal, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum (2007–present)
- Geevarghese Mar Ivanios
- Armenian Catholic ChurchArmenian Catholic Church|- |The Armenian Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church sui juris in union with the other Eastern Rite, Oriental Rite and Latin Rite Catholics who accept the Bishop of Rome as spiritual leader of the Church. It is regulated by Eastern canon law...
(Armenian RiteArmenian RiteThe Armenian Rite is an independent liturgy. This rite is used by both the Armenian Apostolic and Armenian Catholic Churches; it is also the rite of a significant number of Eastern Catholic Christians in the Republic of Georgia....
) - Nerses Bedros XIXNerses Bedros XIXNerses Bedros XIX is the current patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church. He was the second son and the fifth of eight children born to Elias Taza and Josephine Azouz...
, Patriarch of the Catholic Armenians (1999–present) - Melkite Catholic Church (Byzantine RiteByzantine RiteThe Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
) - Grégoire III Laham, Patriarch of the Melkite Catholic Church (2000–present) - Ukrainian Greek Catholic ChurchUkrainian Greek Catholic ChurchThe Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church , Ukrainska Hreko-Katolytska Tserkva), is the largest Eastern Rite Catholic sui juris particular church in full communion with the Holy See, and is directly subject to the Pope...
(Byzantine Rite) - Lubomyr Husar, Patriarch of Lviv (2000–2005), Patriarch of KievUkrainian Catholic Major Archeparchy of Kyiv-HalychThe Major Archeparchy of Kyiv-Halych is the only major archeparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The cathedral church, the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, is presently under construction in Kyiv....
(2005–present) - Romanian Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Lucian MuresanLucian MureşanLucian Mureşan is the Major Archbishop of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia and thus head of the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic....
, Metropolitan of Romania (1994–present) - Ruthenian Catholic ChurchRuthenian Catholic ChurchThe Ruthenian Catholic Church is a sui iuris Eastern Catholic Church , which uses the Divine Liturgy of the Constantinopolitan Byzantine Eastern Rite. Its roots are among the Rusyns who lived in the region called Carpathian Ruthenia, in and around the Carpathian Mountains...
(Byzantine Rite) - Milan Sasik, Apostolic Administrator of Mukachevo (2002–present); Basil Myron Schott, Metropolitan of Pittsburgh (2002–present) - Slovak Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Ján Babjak, Archbishop of Prešov (2002–present)
- Italo-Albanian Church (Byzantine Rite) - Mgr Ercole Lupinacci, Bishop of Lungro degli Italo-Albanesi (1987–present) ; Mgr Sotìr Ferrara, Bishop of Piana degli Albanesi (1989–present)
- Croatian Greek Catholic Church - Slavomir MiklovšSlavomir MiklovšSlavomir Miklovš was the Greek Catholic bishop of Eparchy of Križevci, Croatia.Ordained to the priesthood in 1964, he became bishop of the eparchy in 1983 retiring in 2009....
, Bishop of Križevci (Byzantine) (1983–present) - Hungarian Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Szilárd Keresztes, Archbishop of Hajdúdorog (1988–present)
- Austrian Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Christoph Schönborn, Ordinariate of Austria, (1995–present)
- Bulgarian Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Christo ProykovChristo ProykovChristo Proykov born March 11, 1946 in Sofia, is currently the Bulgarian Greek Catholic Bishop of Sofia. He was ordained a priest on May 23, 1971, then appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Sofia and Titular Bishop of Briula on 18 December 1993. On 5 September 1995 he became Bishop of Sofia.- References :*...
, Archbishop of Sofia (1995–present) - Chinese Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Vacant
- Greek Catholic ChurchGreek Catholic ChurchThe Greek Catholic Church consists of the Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine liturgical tradition and are thus in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.-List of Greek Catholic Churches:...
(Byzantine Rite) - Anarghyros Printesis, Archbishop of Athens (1975–present) - Macedonian Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) -
- Joakim Herbut, Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia (2001–2005)
- Kiro StojanovKiro StojanovMonsignor Dr Kiro Stojanov is the Roman Catholic Bishop of Skopje and the Apostolic Administrator and Exarch of the Macedonian Greek Catholic Church. He is the first Catholic bishop of Macedonian ethnicity in 104 years...
, Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia (2005–present)
- Russian Catholic ChurchRussian Catholic ChurchThe Russian Catholic Church is a Byzantine Rite church sui juris in full union with the Catholic Church. Historically it represents a schism from the Russian Orthodox Church. It is now in full communion with and subject to the authority of the Pope as defined by Eastern canon law...
(Byzantine Rite) - Vacant - Czech Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Mgr Ladislav Hucko, Apostolic Exarchate of Czech Republic (2003–present)
- Turkish Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Vacant
- Albanian Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Hil Kabashi, Apostolic Administrator (1996–present)
- Belarusian Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Sergiusz GajekSergiusz GajekFather Sergiusz Gajek is the Apostolic Visitor for Greek-Catholic Christians on the territory of Belarus.He was born into a Polish Roman Catholic family in Łyszkowice, central Poland, and graduated from a local school and from a gymnasium....
, ArchimandriteArchimandriteThe title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...
, Visitator "ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" (1993–present) - Serbian Catholic ChurchApostolic Exarchate of Serbia and MontenegroThe Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia and Montenegro is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction for Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in Serbia and Montenegro, founded in 2003....
(Byzantine Rite) - Djura Džudžar, Apostolic Exarch of Serbia and Montenegro (2003–present) - Georgian Catholic ChurchGeorgian Catholic ChurchThe Georgian Catholic Church , since the 11th century East-West Schism, has been composed mainly of Latin Rite Catholics; Georgian Catholic communities of the Armenian Rite have existed in the country since the 18th century....
(Byzantine Rite) - No organised hierarchy - Chaldean Catholic ChurchChaldean Catholic ChurchThe Chaldean Catholic Church , is an Eastern Syriac particular church of the Catholic Church, maintaining full communion with the Bishop of Rome and the rest of the Catholic Church...
(Chaldean Rite) - Emmanuel III DellyEmmanuel III DellyMar Emmanuel III Delly is the Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans and Primate of the Chaldean Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic sui juris Particular church of the Catholic Church and a Cardinal. He was born on October 6, 1927 in Tel Keppe and was ordained a priest on December 21, 1952. He was...
, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church (2003–present) - Syro-Malabar Catholic ChurchSyro-Malabar Catholic ChurchThe Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in India is an East Syrian Rite, Major Archiepiscopal Church in full communion with the Catholic Church. It is one of the 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in the Catholic Church. It is the largest of the Saint Thomas Christian denominations with more than 3.6...
(Chaldean Rite) - Varkey Mar Vithayathil, Major ArchbishopMajor Archbishopright|200 px|thumb|Archbishop [[Sviatoslav Shevchuk]], Major Archbishop of Kyiv-HalychIn the Eastern Catholic Churches, major archbishop is a title for an hierarch to whose archiepiscopal see is granted the same jurisdiction in his autonomous particular Church that an Eastern patriarch has in...
(1999–present) - Sovereign Military Order of MaltaKnights HospitallerThe Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
- Andrew Willoughby Ninian BertieFra Andrew BertieFra' Andrew Willoughby Ninian Bertie was the 78th Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, serving for nearly 20 years from 1988 until his death in 2008. Bertie was the first Englishman elected Grand Master since 1258.He never married and had a younger brother...
, Grand Master of the Order (1988–present) - Teutonic KnightsTeutonic KnightsThe Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
- Bruno PlatterBruno PlatterBruno Platter is the 65th and present Grand Master of the Teutonic Order.-Early life:Platter was born in Ritten in South Tyrol, Italy. He made first profession in the Teutonic Order on 12 September 1964 and final profession on 15 September 1969...
, Grand Master of the Order (2000–present)
Catholic Churches not in communion with Rome
- The Ancient Apostolic Communion - Anthony I, PatriarchPatriarchOriginally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
(2002–present) - Catholic Mariavite ChurchCatholic Mariavite ChurchThe Catholic Mariavite Church is a Polish religious organization begun in 1935 by Archbishop Jan Maria Michal Kowalski.Kowalski had been the leader of the Old Catholic Mariavite Church, since the death of its foundress, Felicja Kozłowska , in 1921...
- Józef Maria Rafael Wojciechowski (1946–2005)
- Beatrycze Szulgowicz (2005–present)
- Liberal Catholic Church InternationalLiberal Catholic Church InternationalThe Liberal Catholic Church International is a Christian church with headquarters based in the United States. The Church traces its founding to Jesus and the Twelve Apostles and sees the Bishops of the Church as the successors of the Apostles...
- Archbishop Charles FinnCharles FinnCharles "Charlie" Thornton Finn was an American water polo player who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics.In 1932 he was part of the American team which won the bronze medal...
, Presiding Bishop - Mar Thoma ChurchMar Thoma ChurchThe Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church also known as the Mar Thoma Church is a Christian denomination based in the state of Kerala in southwestern India. It has an entirely different identity when compared with other Churches in India. Most Christian churches around the world are divided into...
- His Grace The Most Rev. Dr. Philipose Mar ChrysostomPhilipose Mar Chrysostom-See also:* Mar Thoma Church* Syrian Malabar Nasrani* Saint Thomas Christians* Christianity in India* List of Syrian Malabar Nasranis* Juhanon Mar Thoma* Alexander Mar Thoma* Joseph Mar Thoma-Further reading:...
, Metropolitan (1999–present) - Old Catholic Church of the Mariavites - Wlodzimierz Jaworski, Bishop-Primate (1997–present)
- Old Catholic ChurchOld Catholic ChurchThe term Old Catholic Church is commonly used to describe a number of Ultrajectine Christian churches that originated with groups that split from the Roman Catholic Church over certain doctrines, most importantly that of Papal Infallibility...
(also deemed in communion with the Anglican CommunionAnglican CommunionThe Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
) - Dr. Joris VercammenJoris VercammenArchbishop Joris Vercammen is the current Old Catholic Primate and Archbishop of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands.-Life and career:Joris August Odilius Ludovicus Vercammen was born in Lier, Belgium, in 1952....
, Archbishop of Utrecht (2000–present), President of the International Old Catholic Bishops' Conference - Philippine Independent ChurchPhilippine Independent ChurchThe Philippine Independent Church, The Philippine Independent Church, The Philippine Independent Church, (officially the or the IFI, also known as the Philippine Independent Catholic Church or in Ilocano: Siwawayawaya nga Simbaan ti Filipinas (in in Kinaray-a/Hiligaynon: Simbahan Hilway nga...
(also deemed in communion with the Anglican CommunionAnglican CommunionThe Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
) -- Tomas A. Millamena (1999–2005), Obispo Maximo X (Tenth Supreme Bishop)
- Godofredo J. David (2005–present), Obispo Maximo XI (Eleventh Supreme Bishop)
- Polish National Catholic Church of America - Robert M. NemkovichRobert M. NemkovichBishop Robert M. Nemkovich was the sixth Prime Bishop of the Polish National Catholic Church, elected by the twenty-first General Synod of this denomination in 2002.-References:...
, Prime Bishop (2002–present)
Eastern Orthodox churches
- Constantinople - Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch, Archbishop of Constantinople, New RomePatriarch of ConstantinopleThe Ecumenical Patriarch is the Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome – ranking as primus inter pares in the Eastern Orthodox communion, which is seen by followers as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church....
(1991–present) - Alexandria - Theodore IIPatriarch Theodore II of AlexandriaTheodore II is the current Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa...
, Greek Patriarch of Alexandria, and all Africa (2004–present) - Antioch - Ignatius IVIgnatius IV of AntiochPatriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch and All The East is the current primate of the "Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All The East".-Life:...
, Patriarch of AntiochPatriarch of AntiochPatriarch of Antioch is a traditional title held by the Bishop of Antioch. As the traditional "overseer" of the first gentile Christian community, the position has been of prime importance in the church from its earliest period...
(1979–present) - Jerusalem -
- Irinaios I, Patriarch of JerusalemGreek Orthodox Patriarch of JerusalemThe Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem is the head bishop of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, ranking fourth of nine Patriarchs in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since 2005, the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem has been Theophilos III...
(2001–2005) - Commission (Kornilios of Petra, Basileios of Caesarea, and Hesychios of Kapitolias) (2005)
- Kornilios of Petra (Locum Tenens) (2005)
- Theophilos III, Patriarch of Jerusalem and All PalestineGreek Orthodox Patriarch of JerusalemThe Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem is the head bishop of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, ranking fourth of nine Patriarchs in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since 2005, the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem has been Theophilos III...
(2005–present)
- Irinaios I, Patriarch of Jerusalem
- Russia - Alexius IIPatriarch Alexius IIPatriarch Alexy II was the 15th Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church....
, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1990–2008) - Serbia - Pavle of Serbia, Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Patriarch of the Serbs (1990–2009)
- Romania - Teoctist ITeoctist ArapasuTeoctist was the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church from 1986 to 2007.Teoctist served his first years as patriarch under the Romanian Communist regime, and was accused by some of collaboration...
, Patriarch of All RomaniaPatriarch of All RomaniaThe Patriarch of All Romania is the title of the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church. As of September 12, 2007, the chair is occupied by Daniel Ciobotea.-Metropolitans of Ungro-Wallachia:* Maxim * Macarie II * Ilarion II...
(1986–2007) - Bulgaria - Maxim of Bulgaria, Patriarch of All BulgariaPatriarch of All BulgariaThe Patriarch of All Bulgaria is the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The Bulgarian patriarchate was re-established in 1953.-History:...
(1971–present) - Georgia - Ilia IIIlia IIIlia II is the current Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia and the spiritual leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church...
, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi (1977–present) - Cyprus -
- Chrysostomos I, Archbishop of Nea Justiniana and All Cyprus (1977–2006)
- Chrysostomos of Paphos, acting for Chrysostomos (2002–present)
- Greece - ChristodoulosChristodoulosChristodoulos was Archbishop of Athens and All Greece and as such the primate of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece, from 1998 until his death, in 2008.- Early life and career :...
, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece (1998–present) - Poland - Sawa, Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland (1998–present)
- Albania - Anastasius of Albania, Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania (1992–present)
- Czech Lands and Slovakia - Christopher, Metropolitan of All Czech Lands and Slovakia (2006–present)
- North America - Herman (Swaiko)Herman (Swaiko)Metropolitan Herman is the former primate of the Orthodox Church in America . As the head of the OCA, he was the Archbishop of Washington and New York, and Metropolitan of All America and Canada...
, Metropolitan of All America and Canada (2002–present)
Autonomous Orthodox Churches
- Orthodox Church of Mount Sinai (autonomy under Patriarchate of JerusalemGreek Orthodox Patriarch of JerusalemThe Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem is the head bishop of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, ranking fourth of nine Patriarchs in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since 2005, the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem has been Theophilos III...
) - Damianos I, Archbishop of Sinai (1973–present) - Orthodox Church of Finland (autonomy under Ecumenical Patriarchate) - LeoLeo (Makkonen) of FinlandArchbishop Leo of Karelia and All Finland, head of the Finnish Orthodox Church, was born in Pielavesi in eastern Finland on June 4, 1948. After completing studies in 1972 at the Kuopio seminary, he was ordained deacon on 20 July 1973 and priest two days later.He was consecrated Bishop of Joensuu...
, Archbishop of Karelia and All Finland (2001–present) - Orthodox Church of Estonia (autonomy under Ecumenical Patriarchate) - Stephanos, Metropolitan of Tallinn and All Estonia (1999–present)
- Orthodox Church of JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(autonomy under Russia) - DanielDanielDaniel is the protagonist in the Book of Daniel of the Hebrew Bible. In the narrative, when Daniel was a young man, he was taken into Babylonian captivity where he was educated in Chaldean thought. However, he never converted to Neo-Babylonian ways...
, Metropolitan of All Japan (2000–present) - Orthodox Church of UkraineUkrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is an autonomous Church of Eastern Orthodoxy in Ukraine, under the ecclesiastic jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate...
(autonomy under Russia) - Vladimir II, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine (1992–present) - Macedonian Orthodox ChurchMacedonian Orthodox ChurchThe Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric or just Macedonian Orthodox Church is the body of Christians who are united under the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, exercising jurisdiction over Macedonian Orthodox Christians in the Republic of Macedonia and in exarchates in the Macedonian...
(autonomy under Serbia) -- Ioannis VI, Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje (2005–present)
- Marko, acting for Ioannis VI (2005–present)
- Orthodox Church of Bessarabia (autonomy under Romania) - PetruPetruPetru is a given name, and may refer to:* Petru I of Moldavia , ruler of Moldavia* Petru II of Moldavia , co-ruler of Moldavia * Petru Aron , ruler of Moldavia...
, Metropolitan (1992–present)
Schismatic Orthodox Churches
- Montenegrin Orthodox ChurchMontenegrin Orthodox ChurchThe Montenegrin Orthodox Church is an Orthodox Christian organization acting in Montenegro and Montenegrin emigration circles - e.g. the village of Lovćenac and the Montenegrin emigration colony in Argentina...
- MihailoMihailoMihailo is a Slavic masculine given name, a variant of the Hebrew name Michael. Other slavic variants include Mihail, Mihajlo, and Mikhail. Common as a given name among Serbs, it is an uncommon surname...
, Archbishop (1997–present) - Russian Orthodox Church Outside RussiaRussian Orthodox Church Outside RussiaThe Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia , also called the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, ROCA, or ROCOR) is a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church....
-- Metropolitan LaurusMetropolitan LaurusMetropolitan Laurus of New York was First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, the fifth cleric to hold that position...
(2001–present) - Vitaly, Metropolitan in opposition (2001–present)
- Metropolitan Laurus
- Russian True Orthodox ChurchRussian True Orthodox ChurchThe Russian True Orthodox Church is a denomination that separated from the Russian Orthodox Church during the early years of Communist rule in the Soviet Union. While the True Orthodox Church in Russia was never a single organization, many of its followers were labeled Josephites, after...
- VyacheslavVyacheslavVyacheslav is a male given name that can also be spelled Viacheslav or Viatcheslav. It is also anglicised as Wenceslaus, which can also be spelled Wenceslas, Venceslas, or Wenzeslaus-Academia:...
, Metropolitan (2000–present)
- Vyacheslav
- Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox ChurchUkrainian Autocephalous Orthodox ChurchThe Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church is one of the three major Orthodox Churches in Ukraine. Close to ten percent of the Christian population claim to be members of the UAOC. The other Churches are the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kiev Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Russophile Orthodox...
- Mefodiy, Metropolitan (2000–present)
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kiev Patriarchate
- Filaret, Patriarch (1995–present)
Old Believers
- Pomorian Old-Orthodox ChurchPomorian Old-Orthodox ChurchThe Pomorian Old Orthodox Church is a branch of the priestless faction of the Old Believers, born of a schism within the Russian Orthodox Church in the 17th century.- Pomorian Agreement :...
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Russia - Oleg Ivanovich Rozanov
- 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
- 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 ChurchLipovan Orthodox Old-Rite ChurchThe Lipovan Orthodox Old-Rite Church is the Romanian based jurisdiction of the Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy ....
- Leonty (Izotov) (1996–present) - Russian Orthodox Old-Rite ChurchRussian Orthodox Old-Rite ChurchThe Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church is an Eastern Orthodox Church of the Old Believers tradition, born from a schism within the Russian Orthodox Church following the liturgical reforms of Patriarch Nikon in the second half of 17th century...
- Andrian (2004–2005)
- Ioann of Kostroma and Yaroslavl, Locum Tenens (2005)
- Korniliy (Titov)Korniliy (Titov)Metropolitan Korniliy , secular name Konstantin Ivanovich Titov ; born August 1, 1947, in Orekhovo-Zuyevo, Moscow Oblast, Soviet Union is a Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church bishop; Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church .-External links:* Official web...
(2005–present)
- Russian Old-Orthodox ChurchRussian Old-Orthodox ChurchThe Russian Old Orthodox Church is an Eastern Orthodox Church of the Old Believers tradition, born of a schism within the Russian Orthodox Church during the 17th century . This jurisdiction incorporated those Old Believer groups which refused to accept the authority of Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy,...
- A. Alexander of NovozybkovNovozybkovNovozybkov is a historical town in Bryansk Oblast, Russia. Population: -History:It was founded in 1701 and granted town status in 1809. Novozybkov was a major hemp supplier in the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly for the production of ropes for the Russian Navy...
, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (2000–present)
Oriental Orthodox Churches
- Armenian Apostolic ChurchArmenian Apostolic ChurchThe Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
-- Karekin IIKarekin IICatholicos Karekin II is the current head of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church.He was born as Ktrij Nersessian in Voskehat, Armenia, on August 21, 1951. He entered the Gevorkian Theological Seminary at Echmiadzin in 1965 and graduated with honors in 1971. He was ordained to the diaconate deacon...
, Catholicos of ArmeniaCatholicos of ArmeniaThe Catholicos of All Armenians is the chief bishop of Armenia's national church, the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is one of the Oriental Orthodox churches that do not accept the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon. The first Catholicos of All Armenians was Saint Gregory the Illuminator...
(1999–present) - Aram IAram IHis Holiness Aram I is the head of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia and has been Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church since 1995...
, Catholicos of Cilicia (1995–present)
- Karekin II
- Coptic Orthodox Church - Shenouda III of Alexandria, Coptic Pope (1971–present)
- Eritrean Orthodox Church -
- AntoniosAbune AntoniosAbune Antonios was the third Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church. He was forcefully deposed by the Eritrean government, and is currently under house arrest.He was replaced as Patriarch by Abune Dioskoros in May 2007....
(2003–2005) - DioskorosAbune DioskorosAbune Dioskoros is the Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, appointed in April 2007with the unanimous approval of the Holy Synod....
(2005–present)
- Antonios
- Ethiopian Orthodox Church - Abune PaulosAbune PaulosAbune Paulos is Abuna and Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church . His full title is "His Holiness Abuna Paulos, Fifth Patriarch and Catholicos of Ethiopia, Ichege of the See of St...
(1992–present) - Syriac Orthodox ChurchSyriac Orthodox ChurchThe Syriac Orthodox Church; is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Eastern Mediterranean, with members spread throughout the world. The Syriac Orthodox Church claims to derive its origin from one of the first Christian communities, established in Antioch by the Apostle St....
- Ignatius Zakka I IwasIgnatius Zakka I IwasIgnatius Zakka I Iwas is the 122nd reigning Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and as such, Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church. Also known by his traditional episcopal name, Severios, he was enthroned as patriarch on 14 September 1980 in St. George's...
(1980–present) - Malankara Orthodox Syriac Church - Catholicos of the EastCatholicos of the EastCatholicos of the East is an ecclesiastical title used historically by the Church of the East and the Syriac Orthodox Church, and now used in successor churches. The title Catholicos, or "universal leader", is used in several Eastern Christian churches and implies a degree of sovereignty and...
Baselius Mar Thoma Mathews IIBaselius Mar Thoma Mathews IIHis Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Mathews II was the Supreme head of Indian Orthodox Church, which is also known as Malankara Orthodox Church. He was the 89th successor to the Holy Apostolic Throne of St...
(1991–present)
Provinces of the Anglican Communion
- Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
– - Elizabeth IIElizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, Supreme Governor of the Church of EnglandSupreme Governor of the Church of EnglandThe Supreme Governor of the Church of England is a title held by the British monarchs which signifies their titular leadership over the Church of England. Although the monarch's authority over the Church of England is not strong, the position is still very relevant to the church and is mostly...
(1952–present) - Rowan WilliamsRowan WilliamsRowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
, Archbishop of Canterbury (2002–present) - Anglican Church of CanadaAnglican Church of CanadaThe Anglican Church of Canada is the Province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French name is l'Église Anglicane du Canada. The ACC is the third largest church in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, consisting of 800,000 registered members...
– Andrew HutchisonAndrew HutchisonAndrew Sandford Hutchison is a retired Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. Prior to his election at the General Synod of 2004, he was the bishop of Montreal and metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of Canada...
, Primate (2004–2007) - Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui – Peter KwongPeter KwongPeter Kwong Kong-kit, GBS, was the first Archbishop Primate of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui and, in 1998, was named as Bishop of the Diocese of Hong Kong Island....
, ArchbishopArchbishop of Hong KongThe Archbishop of Hong Kong is the senior bishop, spiritual and moral leader of the Anglican Province of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui. The archbishop is also Primate of Hong Kong , and both incumbents have, coincidentally, also been Bishop of Hong Kong Island...
(1998–2006) - Episcopal Church in the United States of America –
- Frank Griswold, Presiding Bishop (1998–2006)
- George L.W. Werner, President of the House of Deputies (2000–present)
Continuing Anglicanism
- American Anglican Church – John A. Herzog, Presiding Bishop (1994–present)
- Anglican Church of Virginia – Larry Wilson Johnson, Bishop (2001–present)
- Anglican Orthodox ChurchAnglican Orthodox ChurchThe Anglican Orthodox Church is one of the older conservative Anglican denominations in the United States that is not in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury of the Church of England due to the perceived abandonment of Reformation doctrine by that church...
– Jerry L. Ogles, Presiding Bishop (2003–present) - Anglican Province of AmericaAnglican Province of AmericaThe Anglican Province of America is one of a number of "Continuing" Anglican churches in the United States. This church considers the Episcopal Church in the USA to be heretical, thus it maintains a church separate from that body in order to follow what it considers to be a truly Christian and...
– Walter Grundorf, Presiding Bishop (early 1990s–present) - Diocese of the Holy CrossDiocese of the Holy CrossThe Diocese of the Holy Cross is a continuing Anglican church body in the United States. Unlike most dioceses it is not geographically defined but is a national jurisdiction.- History :...
– Robert Waggener, Diocesan Bishop (?–2006) - Diocese of the Good Shepherd – Melvin Pickering & George Connor, Bishops (2004–2006)
- Diocese of the Great LakesDiocese of the Great LakesThe Diocese of the Great Lakes is a Continuing Anglican church body in the United States and Canada. Although all of its worship centers and clergy are currently located in the American Great Lakes states and the Canadian Province of Ontario, the diocese is non-geographical in structure and open...
– David T. Hustwick, Bishop Ordinary (2002–present) - Episcopal Missionary ChurchEpiscopal Missionary ChurchThe Episcopal Missionary Church is a Continuing Anglican church body in the United States and a member of the Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas...
–
-
-
- William MillsapsWilliam MillsapsWilliam Wesley Millsaps is the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Missionary Church, and the rector of Christ Church in Monteagle, Tennessee.He graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1961...
, Presiding Bishop (2000–2005) - Council Nedd IICouncil Nedd IICouncil Nedd II is an American political, religious and cultural commentator who serves as the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Missionary Church, a Continuing Anglican body. Nedd is the first-born child of Council Nedd of Sumter, South Carolina and Gertrude D...
, Presiding Bishop (2005–present)- Orthodox Anglican CommunionOrthodox Anglican CommunionThe Orthodox Anglican Communion was established in 1967 as a self-governing worldwide fellowship of national churches in the Anglican tradition. The Orthodox Anglican Communion was one of the first such communions to be formed outside of the See of Canterbury and therefore is not part of the...
– Scott Earle McLaughlinScott Earle McLaughlinScott Earle McLaughlin is the Presiding Bishop of the Orthodox Anglican Church, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Orthodox Anglican Communion, and the Chancellor of Saint Andrew's Theological College and Seminary. On 1 May 1999 McLaughlin was consecrated as a bishop by Herbert M...
, Metropolitan Archbishop (2000–present)- Orthodox Anglican ChurchOrthodox Anglican ChurchThe Orthodox Anglican Church is the American branch of the Orthodox Anglican Communion. It is now considered to be part of the Continuing Anglican movement, although the church predates the Continuing Church movement and was actively opposed to Continuing Anglicanism when it developed during the...
– Scott Earle McLaughlinScott Earle McLaughlinScott Earle McLaughlin is the Presiding Bishop of the Orthodox Anglican Church, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Orthodox Anglican Communion, and the Chancellor of Saint Andrew's Theological College and Seminary. On 1 May 1999 McLaughlin was consecrated as a bishop by Herbert M...
, Presiding Bishop (2000–present)
- Orthodox Anglican Church
- Province of Christ the KingAnglican Province of Christ the KingThe Anglican Province of Christ the King is a Continuing Anglican church with traditional forms both of doctrine and liturgy. It is considered one of the more Anglo-Catholic jurisdictions among Continuing Anglican church bodies.-History:...
– Robert Morse, Bishop Ordinary (1977–2007) - Reformed Episcopal ChurchReformed Episcopal ChurchThe Reformed Episcopal Church is an Anglican church in the United States and Canada and a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America...
– Leonard W. RichesLeonard W. RichesLeonard Wayne Riches is the current Presiding Bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church and bishop of the Diocese of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic of his denomination. He received the Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University and the Master of Divinity and the Doctor of Divinity Honoris causa from...
, Presiding Bishop (1996–present) - Traditional Anglican CommunionTraditional Anglican CommunionThe Traditional Anglican Communion is an international communion of churches in the continuing Anglican movement independent of the Anglican Communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury. The TAC upholds the theological doctrines of the Affirmation of St. Louis and an Anglo-Catholic interpretation of...
– John HepworthJohn HepworthJohn Anthony Hepworth is an Australian bishop. He is currently the primate and archbishop of the Traditional Anglican Communion, an international body of continuing Anglican churches. He is also the ordinary of the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia.Hepworth began his seminary studies in 1960...
, Primate (2002–present) - Anglican Catholic Church in AustraliaAnglican Catholic Church in AustraliaThe Anglican Catholic Church in Australia is the regional jurisdiction of the Traditional Anglican Communion for most of Australia and also provides episcopal oversight for New Zealand and Japan...
– John HepworthJohn HepworthJohn Anthony Hepworth is an Australian bishop. He is currently the primate and archbishop of the Traditional Anglican Communion, an international body of continuing Anglican churches. He is also the ordinary of the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia.Hepworth began his seminary studies in 1960...
, Archbishop (1998–present) - Anglican Catholic Church of CanadaAnglican Catholic Church of CanadaThe Anglican Catholic Church of Canada is an Anglican church that was founded in the 1970s by conservative Anglicans.-Affiliation:With 30 congregations in Canada, the ACCC is the third-largest of the Anglican churches in Canada, after the ACC and the Anglican Church in North America.The Anglican...
–
- Orthodox Anglican Communion
- Robert Mercer, Bishop and Metropolitan (1988–2005)
- Peter Wilkinson, Bishop and Metropolitan (2005–present)
- Anglican Church of IndiaAnglican Church of IndiaThe Anglican Church of India is a union of independent Anglican churches in India. When India became independent in 1947, the Church of South India was formed as a united church of Anglicans, Baptists, Basel Mission, Lutherans and Presbyterians...
– Stephen Vattappara, Metropolitan Bishop (1990–present) - Anglican Church in America –
- Anglican Church of India
- Louis FalkLouis FalkLouis Wahl Falk III is the President of the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church in America. Until 2002 he was the Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion, an international body of continuing Anglican churches....
, Primate (1991–2005) - Louis FalkLouis FalkLouis Wahl Falk III is the President of the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church in America. Until 2002 he was the Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion, an international body of continuing Anglican churches....
, President of the House of Bishops (2005–present)- United Anglican Church – Robert D. Parlotz, Archbishop and Primate (c.2001–present)
- United Episcopal Church of North AmericaUnited Episcopal Church of North AmericaThe United Episcopal Church of North America is a traditional Anglican Christian church that is part of the Continuing Anglican movement...
– Stephen C. ReberStephen C. ReberStephen C. Reber, Sr. of Statesville, North Carolina is a former Presiding Bishop of the United Episcopal Church of North America . Before being elected as Presiding Bishop of the UECNA, Reber had been a presbyter in the Anglican Orthodox Church and rector of St. Peter's Anglican Orthodox Church in...
, Presiding Bishop (1996–2010)
- William Millsaps
-
Baptist
- National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. is the largest predominantly African-American Christian denomination in the United States and is the world's second largest Baptist denomination...
– William J. Shaw, President (2003–present) - Southern Baptist ConventionSouthern Baptist ConventionThe Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
– Bobby Welch, President of the Southern Baptist Convention (2004-2006)
Lutheran
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaEvangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
(ELCA) - Mark HansonMark HansonMark S. Hanson is the third and current Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Before being elected presiding bishop, he served as bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod...
, Presiding Bishop (2001–present) - Evangelical Lutheran Church in CanadaEvangelical Lutheran Church in CanadaThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada's largest Lutheran denomination, with 152,788 baptized members in 624 congregations, with the second largest, the Lutheran Church–Canada, having 72,116 baptized members...
– Raymond Schultz, National Bishop (2001–2007) - Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad – Udo Petersoo, Archbishop of Canada, (1990–2006)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Estonia - Andres PõderAndres PõderAndres Põder is the current Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Estonia. He was elected in November 2004 and took office in February 2005. The Archbishop's See is located at St Mary's Cathedral, Tallinn.-References:...
(2005–present) - Evangelical Lutheran Church of FinlandEvangelical Lutheran Church of FinlandThe Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is the national church of Finland. The church professes the Lutheran branch of Christianity, and is a member of the Porvoo Communion....
- Jukka PaarmaJukka PaarmaJukka Paarma was the Archbishop of Turku and Finland, and the spiritual head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. He retired as Archbishop on June 1, 2010.-References:...
, Archbishop of Turku (1998–present) - Evangelical Church in GermanyEvangelical Church in GermanyThe Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
- Barbara Rinke President of the Synod (2003–present) - Lutheran Church - Missouri SynodLutheran Church - Missouri SynodThe Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.3 million members, it is both the eighth largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Synod...
- Gerald B. KieschnickGerald B. KieschnickGerald Bryan Kieschnick was the 12th president of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. He served 3 terms starting in 2001, re-elected in 2004, and again in 2007. He was defeated in his bid for a fourth term by the Rev. Matthew C...
(2001–present) - Lutheran World FederationLutheran World FederationThe Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
- Mark HansonMark HansonMark S. Hanson is the third and current Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Before being elected presiding bishop, he served as bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod...
, President (2003–present) - Church of NorwayChurch of NorwayThe Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
- Harald V of NorwayHarald V of NorwayHarald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...
, King of Norway (1991–present) - Church of SwedenChurch of SwedenThe Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
– Karl Gustav Hammar, Archbishop of UppsalaArchbishop of UppsalaThe Archbishop of Uppsala has been the primate in Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward under the Lutheran church.- Historical overview :...
(1997–2006) - Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran SynodWisconsin Evangelical Lutheran SynodThe Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod is a North American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As of 2008, it had a baptized membership of over 389,364 in more than 1,290 congregations,...
(WELS) – Karl R. Gurgel, President (1993–2007)
Pentecostal
- Assemblies of GodAssemblies of GodThe Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
- Thomas E. Trask, Assemblies of God Fellowship chairman (2000–2008) - United Pentecostal Church InternationalUnited Pentecostal Church InternationalThe United Pentecostal Church International is a Pentecostal Christian denomination, headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Hazelwood, Missouri. It is a part of the Oneness or "Apostolic" portion of the Pentecostal Movement, and was formed in 1945 by a merger of the former Pentecostal Church,...
- Kenneth F. Haney, General Superintendent, (until 2009) - Worldwide Church of GodWorldwide Church of GodGrace Communion International , formerly the Worldwide Church of God , is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Glendora, California, United States. Since April 3, 2009, it has used the new name Grace Communion International in the US...
- Joseph Tkach, Jr., Pastor-General (1995–present)
Other
- United Church of ChristUnited Church of ChristThe United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
– John H. ThomasJohn H. ThomasThe Rev. John H. Thomas was the General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ , a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the Reformed tradition. Elected in 1999, he served as one of five officers of the UCC who comprise the Collegium of Officers, which oversees national...
, President and General Minister (1999–present) - Salvation ArmySalvation ArmyThe Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
– John LarssonJohn LarssonJohn Larsson is the Swedish-born 17th General of The Salvation Army .The son of officer parents, he spent his early years in Sweden, Denmark, Chile and Argentina...
, General (2003–2006) - Seventh-day Adventist ChurchSeventh-day Adventist ChurchThe Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
– Jan PaulsenJan PaulsenDr. Jan Paulsen was elected President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists on March 1, 1999, at the age of 64...
, President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (1999–present)
Other Christian or Christian-derived faiths
- Assyrian Church of the EastAssyrian Church of the EastThe Assyrian Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East ʻIttā Qaddishtā w-Shlikhāitā Qattoliqi d-Madnĕkhā d-Āturāyē), is a Syriac Church historically centered in Mesopotamia. It is one of the churches that claim continuity with the historical...
– Mar Dinkha IV, Patriarch (1976–present) - Ancient Church of the EastAncient Church of the EastThe Ancient Church of the East was established in 1968. It follows the traditions of one of the oldest Christian churches, the Church of the East, whose origins trace back to the See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in central Mesopotamia...
– Mar Addai IIMar Addai IIMar Addai II , born Shimun Giwargis, is the incumbent Catholicos Patriarch of the Ancient Church of the East and resides in the Apostolic See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in Baghdad, Iraq.,He was elected to the position of Catholicos-Patriarch in February 1970, several months after the death of...
, Patriarch (1969–present) - Community of ChristCommunity of ChristThe Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...
- Stephen M. VeazeyStephen M. VeazeyStephen Mark Veazey is the current Prophet-President of the Community of Christ, headquartered in Independence, Missouri. Veazey's name was presented to the church in March 2005 by a joint council of church leaders led by the Council of Twelve Apostles, as the next Prophet-President...
, President (2005–present) - National Council of Churches USA - Robert W. EdgarRobert W. EdgarRev. Dr. Robert William Edgar is president and CEO of Common Cause, a nonpartisan government watchdog organization, effective May 2007. He served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1987, representing the 7th district of Pennsylvania...
, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA (2000–present) - World Council of ChurchesWorld Council of ChurchesThe World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
- Samuel KobiaSamuel KobiaRev Dr Samuel Kobia , is a Methodist clergyman and the first African to be elected General Secretary of the World Council of Churches , a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and local churches representing a Christian population of over 590 million people...
, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (2004–present) - New Apostolic ChurchNew Apostolic ChurchThe New Apostolic Church is a chiliastic church, converted to Protestantism as a free church from the Catholic Apostolic Church. The church has existed since 1879 in Germany and since 1897 in the Netherlands...
- Wilhelm LeberWilhelm LeberWilhelm Leber is a German mathematician and minister in the New Apostolic Church.-Life:Wilhelm Leber was born in Herford in Westphalia. In 1975 he earned his doctorate in mathematics at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main with a dissertation entitled Konvergenzbegriffe für...
, Chief ApostleChief ApostleThe Chief Apostle is the highest minister in the New Apostolic Church, and has existed since 1896.-History:The term "Chief Apostle" was first used officially to describe Jesus Christ in the New Covenant Scriptures, Book of Hebrews, Chapter 3, verse 1, where he is also called the High Priest...
of the New Apostolic ChurchNew Apostolic ChurchThe New Apostolic Church is a chiliastic church, converted to Protestantism as a free church from the Catholic Apostolic Church. The church has existed since 1879 in Germany and since 1897 in the Netherlands...
(2005–present) - Swedenborgian Church of North AmericaSwedenborgian Church of North AmericaThe Swedenborgian Church in North America . The Administrative Offices of the denomination are located at 11 Highland Avenue, Newton, MA.-Beliefs:...
- Christine Laitner, President (2003–present) - Christian ScienceChristian ScienceChristian Science is a system of thought and practice derived from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the Bible. It is practiced by members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist as well as some others who are nonmembers. Its central texts are the Bible and the Christian Science textbook,...
- Board of Directors, J. Thomas Black, Walter Jones, Chair, Nate Talbot, Mary Trammell, Vic Westberg (2005–present) - Unitarian Universalist AssociationUnitarian Universalist AssociationUnitarian Universalist Association , in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations formed by the consolidation in 1961 of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of...
- Rev. William G. Sinkford, President (2001–present) - Members Church of God InternationalMembers Church of God InternationalThe Members Church of God International is an independent Christian organization with headquarters in the Philippines. The Church of God International is colloquially known through its flagship international television program, Ang Dating Daan...
- Bro. Eliseo F. Soriano, Presiding Minister (1977–present) - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) - Gordon B. HinckleyGordon B. HinckleyGordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1995–2008) - Iglesia ni CristoIglesia ni CristoIglesia ni Cristo also known as INC, is the largest entirely indigenous Christian religious organization that originated from the Philippines and the largest independent church in Asia. Due to a number of similarities, some Protestant writers describe the INC's doctrines as restorationist in...
- Eraño G. ManaloEraño G. ManaloEraño de Guzman Manalo , also known as Ka Erdy, was the second Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo, serving from 1963 until 2009. He took over the administration of the church after the death of his father, Felix Manalo, in 1963. He was instrumental in the propagation and expansion of the...
(1963–present) - Jehovah's WitnessesJehovah's WitnessesJehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
-- Governing Body of Jehovah's WitnessesGoverning Body of Jehovah's WitnessesThe Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses is the ruling council of Jehovah's Witnesses based in Brooklyn, New York. The body assumes responsibility for formulating policy and doctrines, producing material for publications and conventions, and administering its worldwide branch office staff...
- 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. AdamsDon A. AdamsDon Alden Adams is the current president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, the principal corporation of Jehovah's Witnesses.- Biography :...
, President (2000–present)
- Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses
- Kimbanguist ChurchKimbanguismKimbanguism is a branch of Christianity founded by Simon Kimbangu in what was then the Belgian Congo . The church's name is the Kimbanguist Church , and is a large, independent African Initiated...
- Joseph Diangienda (1960–1992) - Mita CongregationMita CongregationThe Mita Congregation is a Christian congregation based in Puerto Rico. The congregation has chapters in the United States, Canada, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico El Salvador, Spain, and in the Dominican Republic...
- Teofilo Vargas Sein (1970–present) - Providence ChurchProvidence (religion)Providence is a Christian religious movement most notable for its bible study formerly called the 30 lessons, for the controversies surrounding its founder, and its fast growth...
- Jung Myung SeokJung Myung SeokJung Myung-Seok is the founder of an international organization called Providence. He is also known by the names of Joshua Jung, Joshua Lee Jung, Joshua Lee, and JMS....
(1980–present) - Unification ChurchUnification ChurchThe Unification Church is a new religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. In 1954, the Unification Church was formally and legally established in Seoul, South Korea, as The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity . In 1994, Moon gave the church...
- Sun Myung MoonSun Myung MoonSun Myung Moon is the Korean founder and leader of the worldwide Unification Church. He is also the founder of many other organizations and projects...
(1954–present) - Universal Church of the Kingdom of GodUniversal Church of the Kingdom of GodUniversal Church of the Kingdom of God is a Pentecostal Christian organisation established in Brazil on July 9, 1977, with a presence in many countries...
- Edir Macedo (1979–present) - Unitarian Universalist AssociationUnitarian Universalist AssociationUnitarian Universalist Association , in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations formed by the consolidation in 1961 of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of...
- William G. SinkfordWilliam G. SinkfordThe Rev. William G. Sinkford was elected the seventh president of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in 2001. Sinkford was elected to his second and final term as president in 2005. His installation as president made him the first African American to lead the organization. He...
, President (2001–2009)
Sunni Islam
Note: It is important to mention Sunni IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
has no leaders as the term is understood in the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
world. There is currently no caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
. Even when the caliphate was active it was not equivalent to a Sunni "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 UniversityAl-Azhar UniversityAl-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
الأزهر الشريف - Muhammad Sayid Tantawy, Imam - Jerusalem - Sheikh Ekrima Sa'id SabriEkrima Sa'id SabriSheikh Ekrima Sa'id Sabri was the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine from October 1994 to July 1, 2006. He was appointed by Yasser Arafat.He has a doctorate from Al Azhar University in Egypt on the “Islamic Endowment Between Theory and Practice”....
, Grand Mufti of JerusalemGrand Mufti of JerusalemThe Grand Mufti of Jerusalem is the Sunni Muslim cleric in charge of Jerusalem's Islamic holy places, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque.-Ottoman era:...
(As a Grand Mufti he has a degree of legal authority in Sunni Islam without being its leader) - EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
- Shaikh Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Arab Republic of EgyptIslam in EgyptThe republic of Egypt has recognized Islam as the state religion since 1980. Egypt is predominantly Muslim, with around 80 million Muslims, comprising 94.7% of the population, as of 2010... - PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
- Shaikh Rafi Usmani, Grand Mufti of Islamic Republic of PakistanIslam in PakistanIslam is the official religion of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which has a population of about 174,578,558. The overwhelming majority of the Pakistani people are Muslims while the remaining 3-5% are Christian, Hindu, and others. Pakistan has the second largest Muslim population in the world... - Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
- Shaikh Abdul-Azeez bin Abdullaa bin Muhammad Aal ash-Shaikh, Grand Mufti of Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaIslam in Saudi ArabiaIslam in Saudi Arabia is the sole official religion of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, whose territory was the birthplace of the Muslim religion. Arabian trader Muhammad, resident of the city of Mecca in the Hejaz region, is the prophet of Islam. He unified the diverse tribes of the Arabian peninsula... - TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
- Shaikh Kamal-u-Din Ja'eit, Grand Mufti of TunisiaIslam in TunisiaIslam is the official state religion in Tunisia. Approximately 98 percent of the population of Tunisia is nominally Muslim. Most of them are Sunni belonging to the Malikite madhhab, but a small number of Ibadhi Muslims still exist among the Berber-speakers of Jerba Island. There is no reliable... - UzbekistanUzbekistanUzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
- Shaikh Abdurahman Bakhromov, Grand Mufti of UzbekistanIslam in UzbekistanIslam is by far the dominant religion in Uzbekistan, as Muslims constitute 90% of the population while 5% of the population follow Russian Orthodox Christianity according to a 2009 US State Department release. However, a 2009 Pew Research Center report stated that Uzbekistan's population is 96.3%... - Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
- Shaikh Mustafa Ef. Cerić, Grand Mufti of Bosnia and HerzegovinaIslam in Bosnia and HerzegovinaMuslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina are a little under two million in number and constitute 40 percent of the country's population . The modern Bosniaks, often referred to as Bosnian Muslims, descend from Slavic speakers who converted to Islam in the 15th and 16th centuries. Bosniaks are... - RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
- Shaikh Ravil Gainutdin, Grand Mufti of Russian FederationIslam in RussiaIslam is the second most widely professed religion in the Russian Federation. According to a poll by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, 6% of respondents considered themselves Muslims. According to Reuters, Muslim minorities make up a seventh of Russia's population... - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- Shaikh Soheïb Bencheikh, Grand Mufti of FranceIslam in FranceIslam is the second most widely practiced religion in France by number of worshippers, with an estimated total of 5 to 10 percent of the national population.-Statistics:...
Shia islam
Note: Ayatollah (Persian: آيتالله āyatollāh from Arabic: آية الله, āyatu l-Lāh "Sign of God") is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin. It is similar to the Christian Bishop.- AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
-Grand Ayatollah Qorban Ali Kaboli - AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
-Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Asif Muhsini - AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
-Ayatollah Mohsin Hojjat - BahrainBahrain' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
-Ayatollah Shaikh. Essa Qassim - BahrainBahrain' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
-Ayatollah Shaikh. Mohammad Sanad - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-Grand Ayatollah Reza Hosseini NassabReza Hosseini NassabGrand Ayatollah Seyed Reza Hosseini Nassab is an Iranian Twelver Shi'a Marja, currently residing in Canada... - IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
-Ayatollah aqel-ul-garvi - IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
-Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of IranSupreme Leader of IranThe Supreme Leader of Iran is the highest ranking political and religious authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The post was established by the constitution in accordance with the concept of Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists... - IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
-Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi - IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
-Grand Ayatollah Yousef Sanei - IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
-Grand ayatollah Ali al-Sistani - IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
-Grand Ayatollah Bashir Najafi - IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
-Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi - LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
-Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah - LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
-Ayatollah Jaafar Mortada - PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
-Ayatollah Allama Hussain Bakhsh Jarra - PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
-Ayatollah allamah syed Muhammad Yar Shah - PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
-Ayatollah Hassan Raza Ghadeer - PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
-Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Hussain Najafi - PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
-Ayatollah Hafiz Riaz Hussain Najafi
Ismaili Islam
- Dawoodi Bohras - Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (1965–present)
- NizariNizari'The Shī‘a Imami Ismā‘īlī Tariqah also referred to as the Ismā‘īlī or Nizārī , is a path of Shī‘a Islām, emphasizing social justice, pluralism, and human reason within the framework of the mystical tradition of Islam. The Nizari are the second largest branch of Shia Islam and form the majority...
(Isma`iliaIsmaili' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...
) - Aga Khan IVAga Khan IVPrince Karim, Aga Khan IV, NPk, NI, KBE, CC, GCC, GCIH, GCM is the 49th and current Imam of the Shia Imami Nizari Ismaili Muslims. He has held this position under the title of Aga Khan since July 11, 1957, when, at the age of 20, he succeeded his grandfather, Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan...
(1957–present)
Ahmadiyya Islam
- Ahmadiyya Muslim CommunityAhmadiyya Muslim CommunityThe Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the larger of two communities that arose from the Ahmadiyya movement founded in 1889 in India by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian . The original movement split into two factions soon after the death of the founder...
- Khalifatul MasihKhalifatul MasihKhalifatul Masih sometimes simply referred to as Khalifah is the elected spiritual leader of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and is the successor of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian...
V, Hazrat Mirza Masroor AhmadMirza Masroor AhmadHis Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad is Khalifatul Masih V, the spiritual leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He was elected as the fifth successor of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad on April 22, 2003, a few days after the death of his predecessor Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the fourth Caliph for the Ahmadiiya...
(2003-Present) - Lahore Ahmadiyya MovementLahore Ahmadiyya MovementThe Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of Islam, Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-i-Islam Lahore , also known as the Lahoris, formed as a result of ideological differences within the Ahmadiyya movement, after the demise of Maulana Hakim Noor-ud-Din in 1914, the first Khalifa after its founder,...
- Dr. Abdul Karim Saeed Pasha (2002-present)
Islam derived
- Nation of IslamNation of IslamThe Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
- Louis FarrakhanLouis FarrakhanLouis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
(1978–present) - Sky KingdomSky KingdomSky Kingdom is the name of the commune and sect founded by Ariffin Mohammed in Malaysia. The commune, based in Besut, Terengganu, was demolished by the government of Malaysia in August 2005. As of 2006, Ariffin Mohamed resides in exile in Narathiwat, Thailand, just over the border from Kelantan...
- Ariffin Mohamad (1975–present)
Judaism
- World Jewish CongressWorld Jewish CongressThe World Jewish Congress was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in August 1936 as an international federation of Jewish communities and organizations...
- Edgar M. Bronfman (1981–present) - IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
(Ashkenazi) - Yona MetzgerYona MetzgerYona Metzger is the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel. His counterpart is Rabbi Shlomo Amar, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel since their appointments in 2003.-Background:...
, Chief RabbiChief RabbiChief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
(2003–present) - IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
(Sephardic) - Shlomo AmarShlomo AmarRabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar has been the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel and the Rishon LeZion since his appointment in 2003. His colleague is Rabbi Yona Metzger, the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel....
, Chief RabbiChief RabbiChief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
(2003–present) - TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
- Isak Haleva, Chief RabbiChief RabbiChief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
(2002–present) - United Hebrew Congregations of the CommonwealthCommonwealth of NationsThe Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
- Sir Jonathan SacksJonathan SacksJonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks, Kt is the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. His Hebrew name is Yaakov Zvi...
, Chief RabbiChief RabbiChief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
(1991–present) - IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i Leader of the OrthodoxOrthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
AshkenaziAshkenazi JewsAshkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
HarediHaredi JudaismHaredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
non-HasidicHasidic JudaismHasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
("Lithuanian JewsLithuanian JewsLithuanian Jews or Litvaks are Jews with roots in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania:...
") - Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv - Orthodox UnionOrthodox UnionThe Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , more popularly known as the Orthodox Union , is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. It is best known for its kosher food preparation supervision service...
- Stephen J. Savitsky, President of Lay Leadership (2004–present); Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Executive Vice President - Rabbinical AssemblyRabbinical AssemblyThe Rabbinical Assembly is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, and oversees the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and...
(Conservative JudaismConservative JudaismConservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
) - Rabbi Perry Raphael Rank, President - Rabbinical Council of AmericaRabbinical Council of AmericaThe Rabbinical Council of America is one of the world's largest organizations of Orthodox rabbis; it is affiliated with The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, more commonly known as the Orthodox Union, or OU...
(Orthodox JudaismOrthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
) - Rabbi Dale Polakoff - CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
- Arie Zeev RaskinArie Zeev RaskinRabbi Arie Zeev Raskin, born in 1976, is the Chief Rabbi of Cyprus and the first rabbi on the island in many years.He moved to Cyprus in 2003 with his wife Shaindel and their children in an effort to introduce Jewish life onto the island. He had previously lived in Kiryat Malachi in Israel. He is...
, Chief RabbiChief RabbiChief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
(2005–present) - Union for Reform JudaismUnion for Reform JudaismThe Union for Reform Judaism , formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations , is an organization which supports Reform Jewish congregations in North America. The current President is Rabbi Eric H...
- Rabbi Eric YoffieEric YoffieEric H. Yoffie is a Reform rabbi, and president of the Union for Reform Judaism , the congregational arm of the Reform movement in North America which represents an estimated 1.5 million Reform Jews in more than 900 synagogues across the United States and Canada...
, President
Note: As with Islam these leaders may not necessarily have that much authority, it varies from group to group.
Eastern
- Tibetan BuddhismTibetan BuddhismTibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
(Dge-lugs-paGelugThe Gelug or Gelug-pa , also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader...
sect) -- Tenzin Gyatso, Dalai LamaDalai LamaThe Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
(14th one) (1939–present) - Gedhun Choekyi NyimaGedhun Choekyi NyimaGedhun Choekyi Nyima is, according to the 14th Dalai Lama, the eleventh Panchen Lama of Tibetan Buddhism. He was born in Lhari County, Tibet. On May 14, 1995, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was named the 11th Panchen Lama by the 14th Dalai Lama...
, Panchen LamaPanchen LamaThe Panchen Lama , or Bainqên Erdê'ni , is the highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism...
recognized by the Dalaï Lama (11th Panchen Lama) (1995–present) - Gyancain Norbu, Panchen LamaPanchen LamaThe Panchen Lama , or Bainqên Erdê'ni , is the highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism...
installed by the Chinese Government (1995–present)
- Tenzin Gyatso, Dalai Lama
- Tibetan BuddhismTibetan BuddhismTibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
(Karma-KagyuKagyuThe Kagyu, Kagyupa, or Kagyud school, also known as the "Oral Lineage" or Whispered Transmission school, is today regarded as one of six main schools of Himalayan or Tibetan Buddhism, the other five being the Nyingma, Sakya, Jonang, Bon and Gelug...
sect) -- Trinley Thaye Dorje, Karmapa Lama (17th one) (1994–present)
- Ugyen Trinley Dorje, rival Karmapa Lama (1992–present)
- Tibetan BuddhismTibetan BuddhismTibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
(SakyaSakyaThe Sakya school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug...
sect) - Ngawang Kunga Tegchen Palbar Samphel Wanggi GyalpoSakya TrizinSakya Trizin or Sa'gya Gongma Rinboqê is the traditional title of the head of the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism.The Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism was founded in 1073, when Khon Konchog Gyalpo , a member of Tibet’s noble Khön family, established a monastery in the region of Sakya, Tibet,...
, Throne Holder (1951–present) - MongoliaMongoliaMongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
's BuddhistsBuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
- Jambalnamdolchoijijantsan, Bogdo Gegeen (9th one) (1936–present) ("confirmed" in 1991) - Thailand's BuddhistsBuddhism in ThailandBuddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school. Nearly 95% of Thailand's population is Buddhist of the Theravada school, though Buddhism in this country has become integrated with folk beliefs as well as Chinese religions from the large Thai-Chinese population.Buddhist temples in Thailand...
- Nyanasamvara SuvaddhanaNyanasamvara SuvaddhanaSomdet Phra Nyanasamvara is the 19th and incumbent Supreme Patriarch of Thailand...
, Supreme Patriarch of ThailandSupreme Patriarch of ThailandThe Supreme Patriarch or Sangharaja is the head of the order of Buddhist monks in Thailand. The position is formally appointed by the King of Thailand, although the actual selection is made by senior clergymen...
(1989–present)- Acting Supreme Patriarch of ThailandSupreme Patriarch of ThailandThe Supreme Patriarch or Sangharaja is the head of the order of Buddhist monks in Thailand. The position is formally appointed by the King of Thailand, although the actual selection is made by senior clergymen...
- Somdet KiawSomdet KiawSomdet Phra Phuttacharn , commonly known as Somdet Kiaw , is abbot of Wat Saket and the current Acting Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, the effective leader of all Buddhist monks in Thailand. He was appointed Acting Supreme Patriarch in 2005 due to the failing health of the incumbent Supreme...
(2004–present)
- Acting Supreme Patriarch of Thailand
- Supreme Patriarch of CambodiaCambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
- Preah Maha GhosanandaPreah Maha GhosanandaMaha Ghosananda, , was a highly revered Cambodian Buddhist monk in the Theravada tradition, who served as the Patriarch of Cambodian Buddhism during the Khmer Rouge period and post-communist transition period of Cambodian history...
(1988–present) - Bön - Lungtok Tenpai Nyima
- ChogyeJogye OrderThe Jogye Order, officially the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism is the representative order of traditional Korean Buddhism with roots that date back 1,200 years to Unified Silla National Master Doui, who brought Seon and the practice taught by the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng, from China about 820...
- Rev. Bub Jang - Nichiren ShoshuNichiren ShoshuNichiren Shōshū is a branch of Nichiren Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese monk Nichiren . Nichiren Shōshū claims Nichiren as its founder through his disciple Nikkō , the founder of the school's Head Temple Taiseki-ji...
- High Priest Nikken Abe - KonkokyoKonkokyoor just Konko, is a new religion of Japanese origin also regarded as a type of Sect Shinto. It is a syncretic, henotheistic and panentheistic religion, which worships God under the name of Tenchi Kane No Kami, the Golden God of Heaven and Earth. Tenchi Kane No Kami is also referred to as Kami, or...
- Konko Heiki, Spiritual Leader (1991–present) - TendaiTendaiis a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...
- Most Venerable Eshin Watanabe, Patriarch of Tendai Buddhism - ShintoShintoor Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
- Most Reverend Kuniaki Kuni is the Jingu Daiguji of the Grand Shrine of Ise (This does not make Kuniaki Kuni the leader of Shinto per se, but mentioned as a respected figure over arguably the holiest site in Shint
Western origin
- Mandaeanism - Satar Jabar Helo
- SikhismSikhismSikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
- Joginder Singh Vedanti, leading figure (as the current Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib) - Unitarian Universalist AssociationUnitarian Universalist AssociationUnitarian Universalist Association , in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations formed by the consolidation in 1961 of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of...
- Rev. William G. Sinkford, President (2001–present) - YazidiYazidiThe Yazidi are members of a Kurdish religion with ancient Indo-Iranian roots. They are primarily a Kurdish-speaking people living in the Mosul region of northern Iraq, with additional communities in Transcaucasia, Armenia, Turkey, and Syria in decline since the 1990s – their members emigrating to...
- Prince Tahsin Sayid Beg - W.A.P.I. ZoroastriansZoroastrianismZoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
(Iranian Zoroastrians) - Areez P. Khambatta, Presdident - Bombay Parsi Punchayat (Zoroastrian, generally orthodox)ZoroastrianismZoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
- Minoo Shroff, President (2003 (at least)-present) - World Zoroastrian OrganizationZoroastrianismZoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
- Sammy H. Bhiwandiwalla, Chairman (2004–present)
Indian subcontinent origin
- Federation of Jain Associations in North AmericaJainismJainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
- Mr. Anop R. Vora, President - Terapanthi JainsJainismJainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
- H. H. Acharya Mahapragya - Ramakrishna MissionRamakrishna MissionRamakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are twin organizations which form the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as Ramakrishna Movement or Vedanta Movement. The Ramakrishna Mission is a philanthropic, volunteer organization founded by Ramakrishna's chief disciple Swami Vivekananda on...
- GahananandaGahananandaSwami Gahanananda , the 14th President of the Ramakrishna Order, was born in the village of Paharpur in Sylhet District in October 1916. Known as Naresh Ranjan Roy Choudhury in his pre-monastic days, Swami Gahanananda joined the Ramakrishna Order at its centre in Bhubaneswar in January 1939 at the...
, fourteenth President of the group
Eastern or Hindu derived
- Falun GongFalun GongFalun Gong is a spiritual discipline first introduced in China in 1992 by its founder, Li Hongzhi, through public lectures. It combines the practice of meditation and slow-moving qigong exercises with the moral philosophy...
- Li HongzhiLi HongzhiLi Hongzhi is the founder and spiritual master of Falun Gong , a "system of mind-body cultivation" in the qigong tradition. Li Hongzhi introduced Falun Gong on 13 May 1992 in Changchun, and subsequently gave lectures and taught Falun Gong exercises across China...
, Foundator (1992) - Sathya Sai BabaSathya Sai BabaŚri Sathya Sai Baba , born as Sathyanarayana Raju was an Indian guru, spiritual figure, mystic, philanthropist, and educator. He claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi, a spiritual saint and miracle worker who died in 1918 and whose teachings were an eclectic blend of Hindu and...
- Sathya Sai BabaSathya Sai BabaŚri Sathya Sai Baba , born as Sathyanarayana Raju was an Indian guru, spiritual figure, mystic, philanthropist, and educator. He claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi, a spiritual saint and miracle worker who died in 1918 and whose teachings were an eclectic blend of Hindu and... - Rissho Kosei KaiRissho Kosei Kaiis a Japanese Buddhist lay movement founded in 1938 by Nikkyo Niwano and Myoko Naganuma.-History:Rissho Kosei-kai was founded on March 5, 1938 by Nikkyo Niwano and Myoko Naganuma, both former members of the Buddhist sect Reiyūkai. Rev. Niwano met Ms. Naganuma while he was engaged in missionary work...
- Nichiko Niwano, President - Soka Gakkai - Einosuke AkiyaEinosuke AkiyaEinosuke Akiya is a Japanese Buddhist leader. He was the fifth president of Soka Gakkai, from July 1981 to November 2006.-References:* International Who's Who. accessed September 3, 2006....
(1981–present)
Speculative science derived
- ScientologyScientologyScientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
-- David MiscavigeDavid MiscavigeDavid Miscavige is the leader of the Church of Scientology and affiliated organizations. His title is Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center , a corporation that controls the trademarked names and symbols of Dianetics and Scientology. Miscavige was an assistant to Hubbard while a...
, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center http://www.rtc.org/david-miscavige.htm, "highest ecclesiastical official of the Scientology religion" (1987–present) - Heber JentzschHeber JentzschHeber Carl Jentzsch has served as president of the Church of Scientology International since 1982.-Biography:Heber Jentzsch grew up in a Mormon family, and identified himself as a "believing Mormon". He is the son of polygamist Carl Jentzsch and Carl's third wife Pauline; Heber has 42 siblings...
, official president of the Church of ScientologyChurch of ScientologyThe Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
(1982–present)
- David Miscavige
- RaelismRaëlismRaëlism is a UFO religion that was founded in 1974 by Claude Vorilhon, now known as Raël.The Raëlian Movement teaches that life on Earth was scientifically created by a species of extraterrestrials, which they call the Elohim...
- Claude VorilhonRaëlClaude Maurice Marcel Vorilhon is the founder and current leader of the UFO religion known as Raëlism....
(1976–present)
External links
- http://www.rulers.org/relig.html
- http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/
- http://www.faswebdesign.com/ECPA/ (Eastern Catholic Churches) http://www.eleves.ens.fr/home/sray/seca/ (Byzantine structures and Oriental Catholic Churches)
- http://home.wanadoo.nl/arjen.nandita2/uhj-members-timeline.htm (Baha´i Faith, Timeline of members of the Universal House of Justice)
- http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=197 (Bogdo Gegeen)
- http://www.zanabazar.mn/Life/javzandamba.html (Bogdo Gegeen) http://www.orthodoxie.com
- http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org