The Rev. Dr. Betsy Miller elected first woman president of Moravian Church Northern Province Provincial Elders’ Conference

The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth D. Miller (Betsy) of Lake Mills, Wis., was elected president of the Provincial Elders’ Conference (PEC) of the Moravian Church Northern Province at the Province’s 2010 Synod in Bethlehem, Pa. in June. Betsy is the first woman to be elected to the position in the history of the Northern Province.

The PEC is the highest governing board of the Moravian Church, Northern Province, providing administrative leadership to congregations and program agencies. Betsy was elected to a four-year term, succeeding Rev. David L. Wickmann, who leaves the post after eight years.

“I’m overwhelmed, honored and humbled to be elected to this position,” said Betsy upon her election. “I look forward to working as partners with our elders, the Northern Province and the entire Moravian Church.”

“I will offer my heart, my passion for ministry and leadership and my faithfulness as I seek to celebrate the movement of the Holy Spirit in each of you,” Betsy told Synod delegates in her acceptance speech. “I firmly believe that God has given the Moravian Church Northern Province all the resources, the gifts and graces that we need to be the Church that God is calling us to be in this time and place for the sake of the world.

“ As a denomination, we know what its like to overcome hardship and challenge,” she continued. “But with our heritage, our faith and God’s spirit, we let go of what lies behind and reach forward and press on toward the goal, the prize, of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Our Lamb has conquered. Let us follow Him.”

Prior to her most recent role as director of Congregational Leadership and Resources for the Western District of the Northern Province, Betsy served as co-pastor (1985-95) and pastor (1995-2005) of Lake Mills Moravian Church. She also serves as chair of the Church’s Task Force for Healthy Congregations Initiative; secretary of the Wisconsin Council of Churches; and chair of Fort HealthCare, an independent community hospital in Fort Atkinson, Wis.

Betsy was ordained in 1985. During the past five years, she earned a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) in Congregational Mission and Leadership.

The Moravian Church, which celebrated its 550th anniversary in 2007, is one of the oldest Protestant denominations, dating back to 1457 in Europe and first coming to America in 1735. Moravians have a strong tradition of ecumenical work and are best known for their missionary work and rich musical heritage. The Moravian Church in North America is comprised of the Northern and Southern Provinces. The Northern Province has nearly 23,000 members in 95 congregations in 13 states in the U.S. and two Canadian provinces. The Southern Province includes nearly 17,000 members in 58 congregations, which are located primarily throughout the Southeast. The worldwide Moravian Church consists of 19 provinces with nearly 795,000 members, half of which live in Africa.