North Park is pleased to announce that Rev. Dr. Mary C. Miller will serve as Interim Dean of Seminary and Vice President for Church Relations, following affirmation by the North Park University Board of Trustees and the Executive Board of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
Rev. Dr. Miller (MDiv NPTS, DMin Graduate Theological Foundation) brings to this critical role over four decades of leadership experience across congregational, denominational, and educational settings.
- Pastoral Ministry: After becoming the eighth woman ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church, Dr. Miller pastored congregations in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. Most recently, she has served as a chaplain with Covenant Living Communities and Services.
- Denominational Leadership: As Vice President for Administration of the Evangelical Covenant Church (1999-2005), she became the first female officer in the denomination’s history. In this role she provided executive leadership for governance, organizational development, and strategic initiatives across the denomination and helped establish its Human Resources Department.
- Theological Education for the Church: Dr. Miller directed North Park Theological Seminary’s Making Connections Initiative, a $5 million grant funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc., strengthening the Seminary’s connections with ECC congregations and leading the faculty in publishing Living Faith: Reflections on Covenant Affirmations.
- Board Leadership: Dr. Miller has served multiple terms as a faithful member of North Park University’s Board of Trustees, a role she will suspend during her interim appointment.
Her wide-ranging experience equips Dean Miller to guide North Park Theological Seminary in this interim season, a season requiring both continuity and vision.
Dr. Hauna Ondrey, Seminary Academic Dean, celebrates this selection: “Rev. Dr. Mary Miller brings to North Park Seminary an ideal combination of pastoral wisdom, strategic vision, and a deep love for North Park and the Evangelical Covenant Church we prepare leaders to serve. I am grateful for her willingness to lead in this critical season and look forward to partnering with her in service to our mission of ‘forming whole persons with the living Gospel to serve the church and world for God’s glory and neighbor’s good.'”
Dr. Miller’s appointment follows the impactful tenure of Rev. Dr. Dennis R. Edwards, whose leadership strengthened the Seminary’s health and connections with Covenant congregations.
North Park Theological Seminary extends its deep gratitude to Dean Edwards for his dedicated service and welcomes Rev. Dr. Mary C. Miller with confidence and joy. Together, the Seminary community looks ahead with hope—grounded in its mission and strengthened by faithful leadership for the season to come.
Learn more about Rev. Dr. Miller through this interview, In Her Own Words: Rev. Dr. Mary C. Miller.
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