Deborah Lieder Kiesey

Deborah Lieder Kiesey was born June 26, 1951, in Sioux City, Iowa to Reverend Dr. Lyle and Betty Lieder.  She is the middle child of five.  Her father served, and therefore she lived, in a variety of places in Iowa, including Hornick, Sioux City, Odebolt, Eagle Grove, Spencer and Mason City, where she graduated from High School in 1969.

She attended Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, where she graduated with honors in 1973 with a double major in Religion and Piano Performance.  She was named Outstanding Alumna of the Year for Morningside College in 2004.  Bishop Deb first felt a calling to the ordained ministry while a student at Boston University School of Theology and earned her Master’s of Divinity degree there in 1976.

Upon her return to Iowa, she married D. Bradley Kiesey, an attorney from Washington, Iowa.  They have been blessed with two adult sons, Joel (now living in Denver) and Aaron (now living in Berkeley, California).

Bishop Deb was ordained Deacon in 1974 and Elder in 1977.  She served the following Iowa churches: Richland / Ollie, Washington, Mt. Pleasant, and Iowa City.  In 2001 she was appointed to the Waterloo District and served there until her election to the episcopacy in 2004.

Bishop Deb has been a delegate to General Conference since 1988, and was the first elected clergy from the Iowa Conference in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004. 

Throughout her ministry she has had the privilege of serving on a wide range of committees and boards, including the Board of Trustees for Iowa Wesleyan College, Morningside College and Dakota Wesleyan University.

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