释永信，俗名刘应成。1965年生，安徽颍上人。父母是虔诚的佛教徒。
1981年，17岁的刘应成远赴嵩山少林寺，礼行正大和尚为师，披剃出家，法名永信；旦暮依侍，亲炙师教，锤炼有年，慧行俱进。后参学江西云居山、安徽九华山、北京广济寺等处。
1984年回寺，仍侍奉长老左右，并任新成立的少林寺民主管理委员会成员，协助几近失明的行正方丈处理日常寺务。同年9月，赴江西普照寺受具足戒。
1987年，行正方丈圆寂，承师衣钵，接任少林寺管理委员会主任，全面主持寺院工作。
1993年3月，当选为河南省政协委员；
10月，当选中国佛协理事。
1997年，再次当选为少林寺寺务委员会主任，住持少林寺。
1998年3月，当选为第九届全国人大代表；
7月，当选为河南省佛教协会会长。
1999年8月，荣膺少林寺方丈。
2002年9月，当选中国佛教协会副会长。
2003年3月，当选为第十届全国人大代表。
2008年3月，当选为第十一届全国人大代表。

2010年2月，当选为中国佛教协会海外交流委员会主任。

永信方丈精力充沛，勤奋好学，每日只睡五六小时，不论日常寺务多忙，每日总要抽出时间阅读，还勤于著作。今年已陆续出版专著《禅露集》（三卷）；主编和合编著作《少林寺》（大型画册，共三册）、《少林功夫文集》（二辑）、《少林功夫医宗秘笈》、《禅林意趣诗》、《国际禅文化研讨会论文集》、《少林文化研究论文集》、《少林学论文选》、《少林功夫》、《我心我佛》、《动身不动心》等。

SHAOLIN TEMPLE ABBOT

SHI YONGXIN

少林寺方丈释永信大和尚

Shi Yongxin, originally named Liu Yingcheng, was born into a family in Yingshang, Anhui Province in 1965. 
In 1981, he made his way to Songshan Shaolin Temple at age 17. There he converted to the Three Jewels and received the Dharma name Yongxin under the discipleship of Former Abbot Xingzheng.
 
After three years’ studies and cultivations in other Buddhist monasteries, he returned to the monastery in 1984 and assisted the abbot and the elders with daily operations at Shaolin Temple. In September, he received full ordination at Pu Zhao Monastery, Jiangxi Province.
 
The former Abbot Xingzheng passed away in 1987. Taking the ceremonial alms-bowl and robes on his shoulder (a symbol for the Dharma transmission), Master Yongxin took over the Shaolin Temple Management Committee and started to run the monastery.
 

​March 1993, he was elected as Henan Provincial Political Consultative Committee and appointed as Director of Buddhist Association of China that October.
1997 he was re-appointed as the director of Shaolin Temple Management Committee and presided over Shaolin Temple.
 March 1998, he was elected as representative of the Ninth National People’s Congress and Chairman of the Henan Province Buddhist Association that July.
August 1999, he was inaugurated as Shaolin Abbot in the Inaugural Ceremony.  
September 2002, he was elected as Vice Chairman of the Buddhist Association of China

March 2003 and 2008, he was respectively elected as representative of the Tenth National People’s Congress and representative of the Eleventh National People’s Congress.
February 2010, Ven. Yongxin was elected as Director of Overseas Communication Committee of Buddhist Association of China.
       
Ven. Abbot Yongxin has been tirelessly protecting and reviving the tangible and intangible heritage of Shaolin Temple. He has done a great deal of work for Shaolin from renovating the ancient architectures to compiling and classifying classic books of Shaolin Temple, such as The Secret Book of Shaolin Kung Fu and Medicine, Shaolin Kungfu and Works of Shaolin Kungfu, Chan Dew Collections, Selected Papers on Shaolin Study, Shaolin in My Heart, etc.
 
To bring Shaolin culture to the worldwide Shaolin enthusiasts, he has promoted various Buddhist activities and engaged in domestic and foreign cultural exchanges. Abbot Yongxin has been contributing to the development of Shaolin Temple and spread of Shaolin culture.