The Rev. Dr. Kevin L. Strickland was elected Bishop of the Southeastern Synod on June 2, 2019.  Prior to the election, he served in the ELCA Churchwide office since August of 2014 as the Assistant to the Presiding Bishop, Executive for Worship of the ELCA.

Born and raised in Lexington, SC, Bishop Strickland is an honors graduate of Newberry College (Newberry, SC) with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Philosophy and a minor in History.  He also obtained a Master of Divinity from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (Columbia, SC).  In December of 2019, Newberry College awarded him a Doctorate of Divinity.  In May of 2024, he earned a Doctorate of Ministry degree in Church Leadership and Community Witness from Candler School of Theology at Emory University.  Bp. Strickland also holds a certificate in Executive religious fundraising.

Bishop Strickland served as pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran (Nashville, TN) and St. Paul Lutheran (Maryville, TN) prior and has served at Incarnation Lutheran (Columbia, SC), St. Philip’s Lutheran (Newberry, SC), Lutheran Church of Redeemer (Newberry, SC), and Mt. Tabor Lutheran (West Columbia, SC) in the area of youth and family ministry.

With a heart for justice and advocacy ministry, Bishop Strickland has served on various local and national non-profit boards. He currently serves a member of the ELCA Conference of Bishops and on the boards of Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Council, Inspiritus, Middle East Ready Bench of the ELCA, Ecumenical and Interreligious Committee of the ELCA, Quality of Call Initiative, First Call Process, Immigration Ready Bench of the ELCA, ELCA Church Council,1517 Media, Newberry College, NovusWay, Region Nine Council, James R. Crumley Region Nine Archives, Day 1 Advisory Council, and many others.

Bishop Strickland has been published in several worship and preaching journals and books. In April of 2021, he was inducted into Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. College of Ministers.  He and his spouse, Robby, are excited about what God has in store for the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA and look forward to walking this journey together.

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