Pastor Danielle Miller

Senior Pastor

What do you do at Advent?

I am a cultivator of faith and convener of community. I share the message of God's love for the world and proclaim forgiveness and hope. I help others experience Gods presence and in turn discover God in new ways. I have an awesome job!

Why do you do what you do?

I didn't find peace until God found me. I know there are others out there - restless, seeking, uncertain. They need, we all need, to hear that God loves us and desires more for this world.

Why Advent?

Advent is a collection of diverse, quirky, unique, imperfect, beautiful people who gather to praise God, work for a better world and figure out how to travel with each other through life. I get to be part of this holy experiment. My children learn about God here. They are loved and accepted. Advent wants to make a difference in the world and to help people find their purpose.

Talk to me about

God-questions, worship ponderings, vision hopes, programmatic musings, welcoming inquiries. Also, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, fantasy/sci-fi lit, vegan cooking, environmentalism, DC Comics, the circus (specifically, clowning), storytelling, and bad puns. I am passionate about my kids and my greatest hobby is impromptu dance parties with my family. I am the director of Pinecrest Lutheran Leadership Ministries (Pinecrestllm.org) for youth and young adults - a ministry that will change your life. And I have a heart for Anti-slavery work (check out ijm.com).

When I'm not at Advent, you'll most likely find me

Dancing with my kids, reading (anything), cooking, hanging out with my partner, sleeping (If sleeping were an Olympic sport, I'd be Michael Phelps.)

Originally from Lancaster County, PA, Pastor Danielle has lived throughout the United States and abroad before landing in the Upper West Side with her husband Joel, a family physician in the Bronx, and their three children. She attended Loyola University of Maryland in Baltimore for undergraduate studies and graduated with a Masters in Divinity from The Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia. Pastor Danielle also currently serves as Director/Dean of Pinecrest Lutheran Leadership Ministries. Previously she served as pastor of Oceanside Lutheran Church in Oceanside, NY.

Pastor Danielle believes in intentional inclusion that celebrates the gifts of the individual and community. She is committed to sharing God’s unconditional love for all people. Pastor Danielle enjoys good books, good company, and good food. She finds joy in impromptu dance parties with her children, storytelling and bad puns.