2007 religious leaders - Events of 2008 - 2009 religious leaders - Religious leaders by year
Note: Some religions reject the idea of having a leader or leading council in such a way that they can not be listed. When possible/plausible a leading figure will be named, but in some cases this will not be possible or desirable.
Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism
Theravada Buddhism
Vajrayana Buddhism
Christianity
Catholicism
Catholic Churches in Communion with Rome
- Roman Catholic Church-Benedict XVI, Pope, Bishop of Rome (2005-present) and head of the Latin Rites.
- Coptic Catholic Church (Alexandrian Rite) - Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria (2006-present)
- Ethiopic Catholic Church (Alexandrian Rite) - Berhaneyesus Demerew, Archbishop of Addis Ababa (1999-present)
- Maronite Catholic Church (Antiochene Rite) - Nasrallah Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch for the Maronites (1986-present)
- Syrian Catholic Church (Antiochene Rite) - Vacant, Patriarch of Antioch for the Syrians (2008-present)
- Syro-Malankarese Catholic Church (Antiochene Rite) - Isaac Mar Cleemis, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum (2007-present)
- Armenian Catholic Church (Armenian Rite) - Nerses Bedros XIX, Patriarch of Cilicia (1999-present)
- Melkite Greek-Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Grégoire III Laham, Patriarch of Antioch for the Melkites (2000-present)
- Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, Major Archbishop of Kiev and Halych (of Lviv until 2005) (2000-present)
- Romanian Greek-Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Lucian Cardinal Muresan, Major Archbishop of Fagaras e Alba Iulia (1994-present)
- Ruthenian Greek-Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Milan Sasik, Apostolic Administrator of Mukachevo (2002-present); Basil Myron Schott, Metropolitan of Pittsburgh (2002-present)
- Slovak Greek Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Ján Babjak, Archbishop of Prešov (2002-present)
- Czech Greek Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Ladislav Hučko, Apostolic exarchate of the Czech Republic (2003-present)
- Italo-Albanian Church (Byzantine Rite) - Ercole Lupinacci, Bishop of Lungro degli Italo-Albanesi (1987-present) ; Sotìr Ferrara, Bishop of Piana degli Albanesi (1989-present)
- Croatian Greek Catholic Church - Slavomir Miklovš, Bishop of Križevci (Byzantine Rite) (1983–present)
- Hungarian Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) -
- Szilárd Keresztes, Bishop of Hajdúdorog (1988-2008)
- Péter Fülöp Kocsis, Bishop of Hajdúdorog (2008-present)
- Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Christo Proykov, Exarch in Sofia (Bulgaria) (1995-present)
- Greek Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) -
- Anarghyros Printesis, Exarch in Athens (Greece) (1975-2008)
- Dimitrios Salachas, Exarch in Athens (Greece) (2008-present)
- Macedonian Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) -Kiro Stojanov, Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia (2005-present)
- Russian Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Joseph Werth, Apostolic Exarchate of Moscow (2004-present)
- Albanian Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Hil Kabashi, Apostolic Administrator (1996-present)
- Belarusian Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Sergiusz Gajek, Archimandrite, Visitator "ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" (1993-present)
- Serbian Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Djura Džudžar, Apostolic Exarch of Serbia and Montenegro (2003-present)
- Chaldean Catholic Church (Chaldean Rite) - Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of Babylon (2003-present)
- Syro-Malabar Catholic Church (Chaldean Rite) - Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil, Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly (1999-present)
- Sovereign Military Order of Malta - Fra Robert Matthew Festing, Grand Master of the Order (2008-present)
- Teutonic Knights - Bruno Platter, Grand Master of the Order (2000-present)
Catholic churches not in communion with Rome
Mariavite groups
Liberal and Independent Catholic Churches
Traditionalist Catholicism
National or Regional movements
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern orthodox churches in Communion
- Constantinople - Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome (1991-present)
- Alexandria - Theodore II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, Libya, Pentapolis, Ethiopia, All Egypt and All Africa (2004-present)
- Antioch - Ignatius IV, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East (1979-present)
- Jerusalem - Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine, Syria, beyond the Jordan River, Cana of Galilee, and Holy Zion (2005-present)
- Russia - Alexius II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1990-present)
- Serbia - Pavle, Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Patriarch of the Serbs (1990-present)
- Romania - Daniel, Patriarch of All Romania, Metropolitan of Wallachia and Dobrogea (2007-present)
- Bulgaria - Maxim, Patriarch of All Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Sofia (1971-present)
- Georgia - Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi (1977-present)
- Cyprus - Chrysostomos II, Archbishop of Nea Justiniana and All Cyprus(2006-present)
- Greece - Hieronymos II, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece (2008-present)
- Poland - Sawa, Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland (1998-present)
- Albania - Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania (1992-present)
- Czechia and Slovakia - Christopher, Metropolitan of All Czechia and Slovakia (2006-present)
- North America (The Orthodox Church of America) - Herman, Metropolitan of All America and Canada (2002-present, The OCA's autocephaly is not currently recognized by all other autocephalous Orthodox Churches.)
Autonomous Orthodox Churches in Communion
Schismatic Orthodox Churches not currently in Communion
Old Believers not currently in Communion
- Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Russia - Oleg Ivanovich Rozanov (?-present)
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Belarus - Pyotr Alexandrovich Orlov (2001-present)
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Latvia - Alexy Karatayev (?-present)
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Lithuania - Nikolay Pilnikov (2002-present)
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Poland - Feodosy Novichenko (1993-present)
- Lipovan Orthodox Old-Rite Church - Leonty (Izotov) (1996-present)
- Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church - Korniliy (Titov) (2005-present)
- Russian Old-Orthodox Church - A. Alexander of Novozybkov, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (2000-present)
Oriental Orthodox
Anglican Communion
- See also: List of current Anglican Primates
Provinces of the Anglican Communion
Churches in full communion
Protestant churches
- Raymond Schultz, National Bishop
- Susan Johnson
- Udo Petersoo, Archbishop of Canada, (1990-2006)
- Andres Taul, Archbishop of Canada (2007-)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Estonia - Andres Põder (2005-present)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland - Jukka Paarma, Archbishop of Turku (1998-present)
- Evangelical Church in Germany- Barbara Rinke President of the Synod (2003-present)
- Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod - Gerald B. Kieschnick (2001-present)
- Lutheran World Federation - Mark Hanson, President (2003-present)
- Moravian Church - Angelene Swart[1], President of the Moravian Church's worldwide governing body. (November 2006-present)
- National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. - Dr. William J. Shaw, President (2003-present)
- Church of Norway - Harald V of Norway, King of Norway (1991-present)
- Presbyterian Church in Canada - the Rev. J. Mark Lewis, Moderator
- Salvation Army - Shaw Clifton, General (2006-present)
- Seventh-day Adventist Church - Jan Paulsen, President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (1999-present)
- Southern Baptist Convention - Frank Page, President of the Southern Baptist Convention (2006-present) [2]
- Church of Sweden - Anders Wejryd, Archbishop of Uppsala (from September 2006)
- United Methodist Church - Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, President of the Council of Bishops (2006-2008); Bishop Gregory V. Palmer (May 2008 - 2010) [3]
- Worldwide Church of God - Joseph Tkach, Jr., Pastor-General of the Worldwide Church of God (1995-present)
- Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) -
- Karl R. Gurgel, President (1993-2007)
- Mark Schroeder (2007-present)
Other Christian or Christian-derived faiths
- Community of Christ - Stephen M. Veazey, President (2005-present)
- Christian Science -
- Board of Directors, J. Thomas Black, Walter Jones, Chair, Nate Talbot, Mary Trammell, Vic Westberg (2005-present)
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)
- General Church of the New Jerusalem (Swedenborgian) - Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Kline, Executive Bishop (?-present)
- Iglesia ni Cristo - Eraño G. Manalo (1963-present)
- Jehovah's Witnesses -
- Governing Body of the Jehovah's Witnesses - Carey Barber (1977-present), John Barr (1977-present), Samuel Herd (1999-present), Geoffrey Jackson (2005-present), Theodore Jaracz (1974-present), Steve Lett (1999-present), Gerrit Losch (1994-present), Anthony Morris (I) (2005-present), Guy Pierce (1999-present), Albert Schroeder (1974-2006), David Splane (1999-present), Daniel Sydlik (1974-2006)
- Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania - Don A. Adams, President (2000-present)
- Kimbanguist Church - Joseph Diangienda (1954-present)
- Members Church of God International - Bro. Eliseo F. Soriano, Presiding Minister (1977-present)
- Mita Congregation - Teofilo Vargas Sein (1970-present)
- National Council of Churches USA - Robert W. Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA (2000-present)
- New Apostolic Church - Wilhelm Leber, Chief Apostle of the New Apostolic Church (2005-present)
- Providence Church - Jung Myung Seok (1980-present)
- Shakers - Sister Frances Carr (acts as Eldress and Trustee if not as leader per se as the group is egalitarian) (?-present)
- Swedenborgian Church of North America - Christine Laitner, President (2003-present)
- Unification Church - Sun Myung Moon (1954-present)
- Unitarian Universalist Association - Rev. William G. Sinkford, President (2001-present)
- Universal Church of the Kingdom of God - Edir Macedo (1979-present)
- World Council of Churches - Samuel Kobia, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (2004-present)
Islam
Note: It should be mentioned that in Shi'a Islam, apart from the Twelfth Imam currently in occultation, there are no religious leaders. The highest religious authorities in Shi'a Islam are the few marjas, or Grand Ayatollahs, who give their interpretation (ijtihad) of religious laws.
Sunni Islam
Note: It is important to mention Sunni Islam has no leaders as the term is understood in the Christian world. There is currently no caliph. Even when the caliphate was active it was not equivalent to a "Pope" or "Dalai Lama". In fact such a thing could well be deemed shirk in orthodox Sunni circles. The following people are mentioned to add Sunni content as they are leading figures.
- Al-Azhar Universityالأزهر الشريف - Muhammad Sayid Tantawy, Imam (?-present)
- Egyptian Muslim Scholar- Shaikh al-Islam Yusuf al-Qaradawi
- Jerusalem - Sheikh Ekrima Sa'id Sabri, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (As a Grand Mufti he has a degree of legal authority in Sunni Islam without being its leader) (?-present)
- Egypt - Shaikh Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Arab Republic of Egypt (?-present)
- Pakistan - Shaikh Muhammad Rafi Usmani, Grand Mufti of Islamic Republic of Pakistan (?-present)
- Saudi Arabia - Shaikh Abdul-Azeez ibn Abdullaah Aal ash-Shaikh, Grand Mufti of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (?-present)
- Tunisia - Shaikh Kamal-u-Din Ja'eit, Grand Mufti of Tunisia (?-present)
- Uzbekistan - Shaikh Abdurahman Bakhromov, Grand Mufti of Uzbekistan (?-present)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina - Shaikh Mustafa Ef. Cerić, Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina (?-present)
- Russia - Shaikh Ravil Gainutdin, Grand Mufti of Russian Federation (?-present)
- France - Shaikh Soheib Bencheikh, Grand Mufti of France (?-present)
Islam: Ismaili, Ahmadiyya, Druze and others
Islam or Islam derived
Jainism
Judaism
- World Jewish Congress - Ronald S. Lauder (2007-present)
- Israel (Ashkenazi) - Yona Metzger, Chief Rabbi (2003-present)
- Israel (Sephardic) - Shlomo Amar, Chief Rabbi (2003-present)
- Turkey - Isak Haleva, Chief Rabbi (2002-present)
- United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth - Sir Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi (1991-present)
- Israeli - Leader of the Orthodox Ashkenazi Haredi non-Hasidic ("Lithuanian Jews") - Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv (?-present)
- Orthodox Union - Stephen J. Savitsky, President of Lay Leadership (2004-present)
- Rabbinical Assembly (Conservative Judaism) - Rabbi Perry Raphael Rank, President (?-present)
- Rabbinical Council of America (Orthodox Judaism) - Rabbi Dale Polakoff (?-present)
- Samaritan - Elazar ben Tsedaka, High Priest (2004-present)
- Yeshiva University- Richard M. Joel, President
- Union for Reform Judaism - Eric Yoffie, President (1996-present)
- Cyprus - Arie Zeev Raskin, Chief Rabbi (2005-present)
Note: As with Islam these leaders may not necessarily have that much authority, it varies from group to group.
Sikhism
Other
Bahá'í
Western origin
Indian subcontinent origin
New Religions
Some of these new religions are classified as "sects" in several countries.
Eastern or Hindu derived
Speculative science derived
Other
External links
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