SUNBURY — The Reverend Craig A. Miller was installed as the fourth bishop of the Upper Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) on Saturday, Sept. 17.
The Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, installed Miller at a worship service held at Zion Lutheran Church, Sunbury. Eaton also preached during the service of holy communion.
Holly Fry, synod vice president, served as assisting minister. Participants in the service included pastors and members of synod congregations as well as ecumenical partners. In addition, many Lutheran bishops and ecumenical partners offered blessings of the new bishop and participated in the service.
Ecumenical partners included: Rabbi Nina Mandel, Congregation Beth-el, Sunbury; Rev. James Lease, ecumenical officer of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg; Rev. Steve Cureton, executive presbyter of the Northumberland Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (USA); and Rev. Dr. Paul C. Amara, conference superintendent, Williamsport District- UMC.
Installing bishops included The Right Rev. Audrey Scanlan, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania; Rev. Barbara J. Collins Rev. Robert L. Driesen, and Rev. Dr. A. Donald Main, retired bishops of the ELCA Upper Susquehanna Synod; Rev. Kurt Kusserow, bishop of the ELCA Southwestern PA Synod; Rev. Michael Lozano, bishop of the ELCA Northwestern PA Synod; Rev. Paula Schmidtt, bishop of the ELCA Allegheny Synod; Rev. William Gohl, bishop of the ELCA Delaware-Maryland Synod; and Rev. Richard Jorgenson, acting bishop of ELCA Lower Susquehanna Synod.
Miller was elected as bishop at the Synod Assembly held in June at Susquehanna University. He succeeds Bishop Barbara J. Collins, who retired on Aug. 31, after six years in office. Collins presented Miller with the bishop’s crozier and Eaton presented a pectoral cross during the service.
Miller previously served as assistant to the bishop and director for Evangelical Mission in the synod since 2016.
He served as pastor of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., from 1996 to 2016. Miller earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, N.Y., in 1985 and his Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary) in 1996.
The Upper Susquehanna Synod, headquartered in Lewisburg, is one of 65 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The synod is made up of 117 congregations in Clinton, Columbia, Juniata, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Tioga, and Union counties.
For more information on the synod and its congregations, visit www.uss-elca.org.