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List of 20th-century religious leaders

This is a list of the top-level leaders for religious groups with at least 50,000 adherents, and that led anytime from January 1, 1901, to December 31, 2000. It should likewise only name leaders listed on other articles and lists.

Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism

Mongolia
Russia

Christianity

Catholicism

Roman Catholicism

Old Catholicism

Independent Catholicism

Eastern Orthodoxy

Autocephalous Churches

Autonomous Churches

Ukrainian Orthodoxy

Schismatic churches

Oriental Orthodoxy

Protestantism

Anglicanism

Provinces of the Anglican Communion
*Formal leadership: Supreme Governor of the Church of England (complete list) –
:*Victoria, Supreme Governor (1837–1901)
:*Edward VII, Supreme Governor (1901–1910)
:*George V, Supreme Governor (1910–1936)
:*Edward VIII, Supreme Governor (1936)
:*George VI, Supreme Governor (1936–1952)
:*Elizabeth II, Supreme Governor (1952–2022)
*Effective leadership: Archbishops of Canterbury (complete list) –
:*Frederick Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury (1896–1902)
:*Randall Thomas Davidson, Archbishop of Canterbury (1903–1928)
:*Cosmo Gordon Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury (1928–1942)
:*William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury (1942–1944)
:*Geoffrey Francis Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury (1945–1961)
:*Arthur Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury (1961–1974)
:*Donald Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury (1974–1980)
:*Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury (1980–1991)
:*George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury (1991–2002)
*Saumarez Smith, Primate (1890–1909)
*John Wright, Primate (1910–1933)
*Henry Le Fanu, Primate (1935–1946)
*Howard Mowll, Primate (1947–1958)
*Hugh Gough, Primate (1959–1966)
*Philip Strong, Primate (1966–1970)
*Frank Woods, Primate (1971–1977)
*Marcus Loane, Primate (1978–1982)
*John Grindrod, Primate (1982–1989)
*Keith Rayner, Primate (1990–1999)
*Peter Carnley, Primate (2000–2005)
*Robert Machray, Primate (1893–1904)
*William B. Bond, Primate (1904–1906)
*Arthur Sweatman, Primate (1907–1909)
*Samuel Pritchard Matheson, Primate (1909–1931)
*Clarendon Lamb Worrell, Primate (1931–1934)
*Derwyn Trevor Owen, Primate (1934–1947)
*George Frederick Kingston, Primate (1947–1950)
*Walter Foster Barfoot, Primate (1950–1959)
*Howard Clark, Primate (1959–1971)
*Ted Scott, Primate (1971–1986)
*Michael Peers, Primate (1986–2004)
*Peter Kwong, Archbishop (1998–2006)
*Presiding Bishop (complete list) –
:*Thomas Clark, Presiding Bishop (1899–1903)
:*Daniel Tuttle, Presiding Bishop (1903–1923)
:*Alexander Garrett, Presiding Bishop (1923–1924)
:*Ethelbert Talbot, Presiding Bishop (1924–1926)
:*John Murray, Presiding Bishop (1926–1929)
:*Charles Anderson, Presiding Bishop (1929–1930)
:*DeWolf Perry, Presiding Bishop (1930–1937)
:*Henry Tucker, Presiding Bishop (1938–1946)
:*Henry Sherrill, Presiding Bishop (1947–1958)
:*Arthur Lichtenberger, Presiding Bishop (1958–1964)
:*John Hines, Presiding Bishop (1965–1974)
:*John Allin, Presiding Bishop (1974–1985)
:*Edmond Lee Browning, Presiding Bishop (1986–1997)
:*Frank Griswold, Presiding Bishop (1998–2006)
*Presidents of the House of Deputies (complete list) –
:*George Werner, President (2000–present)
Continuing Anglicanism
*G. Frederick B. Morris, Presiding Bishop (1955–1965)
*Stephen Carlton Bradley, Presiding Bishop (1965–1984)
*Dudley Foord, Presiding Bishop (1986–1989)
*Joe J. Bell, Presiding Bishop (1989–2000)
*Frank J. Retief, Presiding Bishop (2000–2010)
*A. Donald Davies, Presiding Bishop (1992–2000)
*William Millsaps, Presiding Bishop (2000–2005)
:*James Parker Dees, Metropolitan Archbishop (1963–1990)
:*George C. Schneller, Metropolitan Archbishop (1991–1994)
:*Robert J. Godfrey, Metropolitan Archbishop (1994–2000)
:*Scott Earle McLaughlin, Metropolitan Archbishop (2000–present)
*Orthodox Anglican Church –
:*James Parker Dees, Presiding Bishop (1963–1990)
:*George C. Schneller, Presiding Bishop (1991–1994)
:*Robert J. Godfrey, Presiding Bishop (1994–2000)
:*Scott Earle McLaughlin, Presiding Bishop (2000–2012)
*Anglican Church in America – Louis Falk, Primate (1991–2005)
*Anglican Catholic Church in Australia – John Hepworth, Archbishop (1998–2012)
*Anglican Catholic Church of Canada – Robert Mercer, Bishop and Metropolitan (1988–2005)
*Anglican Church of India – Stephen Vattappara, Metropolitan Bishop (1990–present)
*John C. Gramley, Presiding Bishop (1992–1996)
*Stephen C. Reber, Presiding Bishop (1996–2010)

Baptist

International
  • Baptist World Alliance –
  • John Clifford, President (1905–1911)
  • Robert Stuart MacArthur, President (1911–1923)
  • Edgar Young Mullins, President (1923–1928)
  • John MacNeill, President (1928–1934)
  • George Washington Truett, President (1934–1939)
  • James Henry Rushbrooke, President (1939–1947)
  • Charles Oscar Johnson, President (1947–1950)
  • Fred Townley Lord, President (1950–1955)
  • Theodore Floyd Adams, President (1955–1960)
  • Joao Filson Soren, President (1960–1965)
  • William R. Tolbert, Jr., President (1965–1970)
  • Carney Hargroves, President (1970–1975)
  • David Wong, President (1975–1980)
  • Duke Kimbrough McCall, President (1980–1985)
  • Noel Vose, President (1985–1990)
  • Knud Wumpleman, President (1990–1995)
  • Nilson Do Amaral Fanini, President (1995–2000)
*Billy Kim, President (2000–2005)
North America
*J. Brent Walker, Executive Director (1999–present)
*Daniel Vestal, Coordinator (1996–present)
*Paul S. Morton, International Presiding Bishop (1994–present)
*Elias Camp Morris, President (1895–1922)
*L. K. Williams, President (1924–1940)
*David V. Jemison, President (1940–1953)
*Joseph H. Jackson, President (1954–1982)
*T. J. Jemison, President (1983–1994)
*Henry Lyons, President (1994–1999)
*Stewart Cleveland Cureton, President (1999)
*William J. Shaw, President (1999–2009)

Holiness

Lutheran

Pentecostal

Methodism

  • African Methodist Episcopal Church –
  • Clement W. Fugh, General Secretary (2000–present)
  • Free Methodist Church in Canada –
  • Stan Toler, Bishop (1974–1993)
  • Gary R. Walsh, Bishop (1993–1997)
  • Keith A. Elford, Bishop (1997–present)
  • Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en las Islas Filipinas –
  • Nicolas V. Zamora, General Superintendent (1909–1914)
  • Alejandro H. Reyes, General Superintendent (1914–1922)
  • Victoriano Mariano, General Superintendent (1922–1928)
  • Francisco Gregorio, General Superintendent (1928–1939)
  • Matias B. Valdez, General Superintendent (1939–1948)
  • Eusebio Tech, General Superintendent (1948–1952)
  • Marcelino C. Gutierrez, General Superintendent (1952–1953)
  • Lazaro G. Trinidad, General Superintendent (1953–1972)
  • Geronimo P. Maducdoc, General Superintendent (1972–1980)
  • George F. Castro, General Superintendent (1980–2000)
  • Nathaniel P. Lazaro, General Superintendent (2000–present)
  • Methodist Church Ghana –
  • Francis C.F. Grant, President (1961–1966)
  • T. Wallace Koomson, President (1966–1973)
  • Charles K. Yamoah, President (1973–1977)
  • C. Awotwi Pratt, President (1977–1979)
  • Samuel B. Essamuah, President (1979–1984)
  • C. Awotwi Pratt, President (1984–1985)
  • Jacob S.A. Stephens, President (1985–1990)
  • Kwesi A. Dickson, President (1990–1997)
  • Samuel Asante Antwi, President and Presiding Bishop (1997–2003)
  • Methodist Church in Singapore –
  • <small>Methodist work in Southern and Southeast Asia</small>
  • James M. Thoburn, Bishop and Superintendent (1888–1904)
  • William F. Oldham, Bishop and Superintendent (1904–1912)
  • John E. Robinson, Bishop and Superintendent (1912–1914)
  • William P. Eveland, Bishop and Superintendent (1914–1916)
  • John E. Robinson and J. W. Robinson, Bishops and Superintendents (1916–1920)
  • George H. Bickley, Bishop and Superintendent (1920–1924)
  • Titus Lowe, Bishop and Superintendent (1924–1928)
  • Edwin F. Lee, Bishop and Superintendent (1928–1948)
  • <small>Southeastern Asia Central Conference</small>
  • Raymond L. Archer, Bishop (1950–1956)
  • Hobart B. Amstutz, Bishop (1956–1964)
  • Robert F. Lundy, Bishop (1964–1968)
  • <small>Methodist Church in Malaysia and Singapore</small>
  • Yap Kim Hao, Bishop (1968–1973)
  • Theodore R. Doraisamy, Bishop (1973–1976)
  • <small>Methodist Church in Singapore</small>
  • Kao Jih Chung, Bishop (1976–1984)
  • Ho Chee Sin, Bishop (1984–1996)
  • Wong Kiam Thau, Bishop (1996–2000)
  • Robert M. Solomon, Bishop (2000–present)
  • Methodist Church of South Africa
  • President
  • William B Rayner, President (1900–1901)
  • Alfred T Rhodes, President (1901–1902)
  • Robert Lamplough, President (1902–1903)
  • Nendrick Abrahams, President (1903–1904)
  • Ezra Nuttal, President (1904–1905)
  • Arthur P Chaplin, President (1905–1906)
  • Richard F Hornabrook, President (1906–1907)
  • William J Hacker, President (1907–1908)
  • George Weaver, President (1908–1909)
  • Wesley Hurt, President (1909–1911)
  • Joseph Metcalf, President (1911–1912)
  • Albert H Hodges, President (1912–1913)
  • William Pescod, President (1913–1914)
  • T Edward Marsh, President (1914–1915)
  • Robert Matterson, President (1915–1916)
  • Griffith W Rogers, President (1916–1917)
  • Henry Cotton, President (1917–1918)
  • Samuel Clark, President (1918–1919)
  • James PendlReebury, President (1919–1920)
  • George Robson, President (1920–1921)
  • Arthur J Lennard, President (1921–1922)
  • Charles S Lucas, President (1922–1923)
  • John W Househam, President (1923–1924)
  • John W Watkinson, President (1924–1925)
  • Frederick Holmes, President (1925–1926)
  • Andrew Graham, President (1926–1927)
  • Theo R Curnick BD, President (1927–1928)
  • William Flint DD, President (1928–1929)
  • Geo H P Jacques, President (1929–1930)
  • Allen Lea, President (1930–1931)
  • Ernest Titcomb, President (1931–1932)
  • John A Allcock, President (1932–1933)
  • William Meara, President (1933–1934)
  • Henry W Goodwin, President (1934–1935)
  • Thomas Stanton, President (1935–1936)
  • A Arthur Wellington, President (1936–1937)
  • William Meara, President (1937–1938)
  • Edwin Bottrill, President (1938–1939)
  • Lorenzo S H Wilkinson, President (1939–1940)
  • William Eveleigh, President (1940–1941)
  • William B Allcock, President (1941–1942)
  • Arnold Nichols, President (1942–1943)
  • William W Shilling, President (1943–1944)
  • William Whalley, President (1944–1945)
  • William Meara, President (1945–1946)
  • Cecil C Harris, President (1946–1947)
  • E Lyn Cragg, President (1947–1948)
  • Edward W Grant, President (1948–1949)
  • Joseph B Webb, President (1949–1950)
  • Stanley Le Grove-Smith, President (1950–1951)
  • Alison E F Garrett, President (1951–1952)
  • J Wesley Hunt, President (1952–1953)
  • Herbert W Rist, President (1953–1954)
  • Joseph B Webb, President (1954–1955)
  • Stanley B Sudbury, President (1955–1956)
  • William Illsley, President (1956–1957)
  • Clifford K Storey, President (1957–1958)
  • C Edgar Wilkinson, President (1958–1959)
  • Leslie A Hewson, President (1959–1960)
  • Frank H Edmonds, President (1960–1961)
  • Joseph B Webb, President (1961–1962)
  • Deryck P Dugmore, President (1962–1963)
  • Stanley G Pitts, President (1963–1964)
  • Seth M Mokitimi, President (1964–1965)
  • Wilfred W Hartley, President (1965–1966)
  • Robert C Bellis, President (1966–1967)
  • L G S Griffiths, President (1967–1968)
  • Cyril Wilkins, President (1968–1969)
  • Derrick W Timm, President (1969–1970)
  • C Edgar Wilkinson, President (1970–1971)
  • Alex L Boraine, President (1971–1972)
  • Stanley G Pitts, President (1972–1973)
  • Jotham C Mvusi, President (1973–1974)
  • Vivian W Harris, President (1974–1975)
  • Abel E Hendricks, President (1975–1976)
  • Charles R Stephenson, President (1976–1977)
  • Abel E Hendricks, President (1977–1978)
  • Donald C Veysie, President (1978–1979)
  • Andrew M Losaba, President (1979–1980)
  • Howard F Kirby, President (1980–1981)
  • T Simon N Gqubule, President (1981–1982)
  • Khoza E M Mgojo, President (1982–1983)
  • Fremont C Louw, President (1983–1984)
  • Peter J Storey, President (1984–1985)
  • Ernest N Baartman, President (1985–1986)
  • John P Scholtz, President (1986–1987)
  • Khoza E M Mgojo, President (1987–1988)
  • Stanley Mogoba, President (1988–1998)
  • H Mvume Dandala, President (1998–2002)
  • Ivan M Abrahams, President (2003-2011)
  • Ziphozihle D Siwa, President(2012-2018)
  • Purity N Malinga, President (2019-2023)
  • Pumla Nzimande, President (2024-date)
  • General Secretary
  • Alfred T Rhodes, General Secretary (1899–1901)
  • Ezra Nuttal, General Secretary (1901–1904)
  • Arthur P Chaplin, General Secretary (1904–1905)
  • Charles Pettman, General Secretary (1905–1911)
  • Henry Cotton, General Secretary (1911–1917)
  • James Robb, General Secretary (1917–1920)
  • John W Househam, General Secretary (1920–1923)
  • William H P Clulow, General Secretary (1923–1926)
  • Alfred A Stile, General Secretary (1926–1927)
  • William H P Clulow, General Secretary (1927–1928)
  • Thomas Stanton, General Secretary (1928–1934)
  • Arthur C File, General Secretary (1934–1938)
  • William H Irving, General Secretary (1938–1939)
  • Arthur C File, General Secretary (1939–1940)
  • William H Irving, General Secretary (1940–1942)
  • Edward W Grant, General Secretary (1942–1943)
  • F J Rhead Marsh, General Secretary (1943–1945)
  • Alison E F Garrett, General Secretary (1945–1951)
  • Stanley B Sudbury, General Secretary (1951–1953)
  • Frank H Edmonds, General Secretary (1953–1960)
  • Lloyd G Griffiths, General Secretary (1960–1961)
  • Alison E F Grant, General Secretary (1961–1962)
  • Stanley B Sudbury, General Secretary (1962–1973)
  • Cyril Wilkins, General Secretary (1973–1982)
  • M Stanley Mogoba, General Secretary (1982–1988)
  • Vivian Harris, General Secretary (1988–2001)

Other Protestant

Other Christian or Christian-derived faiths

*Mar Thoma Darmo, Patriarch (1968–1969)
*Mar Addai II, Patriarch (1970–2022)
*Shimun XVIII Rubil, Patriarch (1860–1903)
*Shimun XIX Benyamin, Patriarch (1903–1918)
*Shimun XX Paulos, Patriarch (1918–1920)
*Shimun XXI Eshai, Patriarch (1920–1975)
*Dinkha IV, Patriarch (1976–2015)
:*The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
::*Lorenzo Snow, President of the Church (1898–1901)
::*Joseph F. Smith, President of the Church (1901–1918)
::*Heber J. Grant, President of the Church (1918–1945)
::*George Albert Smith, President of the Church (1945–1951)
::*David O. McKay, President of the Church (1951–1970)
::*Joseph Fielding Smith, President of the Church (1970–1972)
::*Harold B. Lee, President of the Church (1972–1973)
::*Spencer W. Kimball, President of the Church (1973–1985)
::*Ezra Taft Benson, President of the Church (1985–1994)
::*Howard W. Hunter, President of the Church (1994–1995)
::*Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Church (1995–2008)
:*Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Community of Christ after 2001)
::*Joseph Smith III, Prophet-President of the Church (1860–1914)
::*Frederick M. Smith, Prophet-President of the Church (1915–1946)
::*Israel A. Smith, Prophet-President of the Church (1946–1958)
::*W. Wallace Smith, Prophet-President of the Church (1958–1978)
::*Wallace B. Smith, Prophet-President of the Church (1978–1996)
::*W. Grant McMurray, Prophet-President of the Church (1996–2004)
*Felix Manalo, Executive Minister (1914–1963)
*Eraño Manalo, Executive Minister (1963–2009)
*Robert W. Edgar, General Secretary (1999–2007)
*Willem Adolf Visser 't Hooft, General Secretary (1938–1966)
*Eugene Carson Blake, General Secretary (1966–1972)
*Philip Potter, General Secretary (1972–1984)
*Emilio Castro, General Secretary (1985–1992)
*Konrad Raiser, General Secretary (1993–2003)

Hinduism

Islam

Sunni

*Abdur Rahman Atiku, Caliph (1891–1902)
*Muhammadu Attahiru I, Caliph (1902–1903)

Shia

Twelver

*Imams (complete list) –
*Muhammad al-Mahdi, Imam (874–present) <small>Shia belief holds that he was hidden by Allah in 874.</small>
:*Marja
::*Muhammad Kazim Khurasani(1895–1911)
::*Mohammad-Hossein Naini(1911–1936)
::*Abu al-Hasan al-Musawi al-Isfahani(1936–1946)
::*Seyyed Hossein Tabatabaei Qomi(1946)
::*Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi(1946–1961)
::*Muhsin al-Hakim(1961–1970)
::*Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei(1970–1992)
::*Abd al-A'la al-Musawi al-Sabziwari(1992–1993)
::*Ruhollah Khomeini(1970–1989)
::*Mohammad Reza Golpaygani(1961–1993)
::*Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr(1992–1999)
::*Mohammad-Taqi Bahjat Foumani(1980–2009)
::*Mohammad Fazel Lankarani(1980–2007)
::*Ali Khamenei(1985–2026)
::*Muhammad Saeed al-Hakim(1980–2021)
::*Muhammad al-Fayadh(1980–)
::*Ali al-Sistani(1980–)
::*Naser Makarem Shirazi(1977–)
::*Hossein Waheed Khorasani(1975–)
::*Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani(1975–2022)

Ismaili

*Aga Khan III, 48th Imam (1885–1957)
*Aga Khan IV, 49th Imam (1957–2025)
*Mohammed Burhanuddin, Dai al-Mutlaq (1891–1905)
*Abdullah Badruddin, Dai al-Mutlaq (1905–1915)
*Taher Saifuddin, Dai al-Mutlaq (1915–1965)
*Mohammed Burhanuddin, Dai al-Mutlaq (1965–2014)
*al-Mansur Muhammad bin Yahya Hamid ad-Din, Imam (1890–1904)
*al-Mutawakkil Yahya Muhammad Hamid ad-Din, Imam (1904–1948)
*an-Nasir Ahmad bin Yahya, Imam (1948–1962)
*al-Mansur Muhammad al-Badr, Imam (1962)
*Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, leader of the Houthis (1994–2004)

Dawat-e-Islami

Ahmadiyya

Nation of Islam

*Wallace Fard Muhammad, founder and leader (1930–1934)
*Elijah Muhammad, leader (1934–1975)
*Warith Deen Mohammed, leader (1975–1976) <small>Established the World Community of Islam in the West (later American Muslim Mission, and then American Society of Muslims) in 1976, which he led until his death in 2003.</small>
* Louis Farrakhan, leader (1981–present)

Judaism and related

Asia
  • Israel/ British Mandate of Palestine, (complete list) –
Eurasia
Europe
North America

Other

Shinto

*Akihito, Emperor of Japan, head of Shintoism (1989–2019)
*Fusako Kitashirakawa, Chairperson (1947–1974)
*Kazuko Takatsukasa, Chairperson (1974–1988)
*Atsuko Ikeda, Chairperson (1988–present)

Sectarian Shinto

*Senge Takaaki, Kancho (1887–1918)
*Senge Takamochi, Kancho (1918–1954)
*Senge Takanobu, Kancho (1954–1963)
*Senge Michihiko, Kancho (1963–2014)
*Setsutane Konko, Spiritual Leader (1893–1963)
*Kagamitaro Konko, Spiritual Leader (1963–1991)
*Heiki Konko, Spiritual Leader (1991–2021)
*Kurozumi Muneyasu, Chief Patriarch (1889–1936)
*Kurozumi Munekazu, Chief Patriarch (1936–1973)
*Kurozumi Muneharu, Chief Patriarch (1973–2017)
*Nao Deguchi, Spiritual Leader (1892–1918)
*Sumi Deguchi, Spiritual Leader (1918–1952)
*Naohi Deguchi, Spiritual Leader (1952–1990)
*Kiyoko Deguchi, Spiritual Leader (1990–2001)

West Asian origin

  • W.A.P.I. Zoroastrians (Iranian Zoroastrians) –
  • Areez P. Khambatta, President

Baháʼí Faith

Jainism

See also

References

Further reading

External links

  • http://www.rulers.org/relig.html