On April 25, 2018 Pope Francis appointed Rev. Joseph Nguyễn Đức Cường bishop of Thanh Hóa, Vietnam.

The new prelate was born on October 14, 1953 in Quảng Trường Village of Quảng Xương Disctrict, in the diocese of Thanh Hóa.

He was the second child in a family of 10 children, 5 boys and 5 girls.

He attended the Simon Hòa minor seminary and the major seminary of Đà Lạt. He then continued his studies at the Pontifical Saint Pius X College in Đà Lạt before completing his priestly formation at the Saint Joseph major seminary in Sàigòn.

He was ordained a priest on 27 June 1992, for the diocese of Da Lat.

In 2012, he held a leadership course at the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila, Philippines.

Since priestly ordination, he has held the following positions in the diocese of Đà Lạt: vicar of the parish of Tân Thành, Bảo Lộc (1992-2001); vicar of the parish of Tân Bùi, Bảo Lộc (2001-2005); parish priest of Tân Bùi, Bảo Lộc (2005-2015); and parish priest and dean of Madagui Deanery (since 2015), Judicial Vicar of the Marriage Tribunal (2010 – 2017), and Vice Rector of Minh Hòa seminary.

Beyond the border of Đà Lạt, he has also held the following positions: Vice Director of Eparchial Catechetical commission of the ecclesiastical province of Sàigòn (2005 – 2014) before heading the commission since 2014, and, and being appointed Vice Chairman of Committee on Catechism of the Vietnamese Episcopal Conference on the same year.