Rev. Dr. Miriam J. Burnett is the eldest of two daughters of James and M. Juliette D. Burnett. In July 2021, at the request of Bishop Francine A. Brookins, Esq., Rev. Dr. Burnett agreed to serve as Supervisor of Missions. She presently serves as the Supervisor of Missions for the Fifth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church where she leads their Women’s Missionary Society, Young People’s and Children’s Division (YPD), Clergy Family Organization and several of the Episcopal District’s projects. Rev. Dr. Burnett was ordained Itinerant Elder in September 1995 in the Columbia Annual Conference of Seventh Episcopal District (State of South Carolina). After many years of supply pastoring and serving as an associate minister for churches in the Sixth (State of Georgia) and Seventh Episcopal Districts, followed by 16 years of full- time pastoral ministry, she supernumerated in the First Episcopal District in 2021.

Dr. Burnett joined Bishop Brookins in her first Episcopal assignment, serving the Eighteenth Episcopal Church from July 2021 to August 2024. During her tenure, the Episcopal District Women’s Missionary Society and YPD saw substantial growth in mission efforts, spiritual vitality, and membership. Some highlights include:

• Increased support for essential district projects
• Significant increase in numbers and participation of Young Adult Missionaries (YAM)
• Uniforms for ALL YPD members in the Southern Mozambique Annual Conference
• Robing ceremony for Connectional President Dr. Deborah Taylor-King
• Women’s Financial Empowerment Sessions
• Creating agricultural projects and tithing their profits to provide seed money for other farms

Additionally, there was increased organization and participation within the Clergy Family Organization, as well as the establishment of the Health Commission, which developed fruitful partnerships—especially with farm and garden ministries.

Dr. Burnett concluded 24 years as the Medical Director of the AME Church International Health Commission in September 2024. Over 37 years of service at all levels within the Health Commission, she held multiple offices and helped expand the Commission’s work to include 14 ministries and more than 20 partnerships.

She is currently the President of Resource And Promotion of Health Alliance, Inc. (R.A.P.H.A., Inc.), Convener of National Council of Churches, USA Health Taskforce and the Co-Chair of the World Council of Churches Health and Access Subcommittee with partnership with the World Health Organization. Dr. Burnett also serves as an instructor for the Turner Theological Seminary Certificate in Theology Program. She has worked with US government agencies including HHS, CDC, and FEMA.

She has served as the Associate Vice-President and Senior Medical Director at Optum Change Healthcare, Instructor of Medicine at University of South Carolina School of Medicine, and an Associate Professor of Spirituality and Health at Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC). She served as Director of Faith and the City and founding Director of the Institute for Faith-Health Leadership and Institutional Review Board at the ITC and as the ITC liaison to the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) Center of Excellence on Health Disparities.

Trained in head and heart, she holds a Doctor of Medicine from Morehouse School of Medicine, a Master of Public Health and Master of Divinity degrees. Dr. Burnett, a U.S. Army veteran, completed her Internal Medicine internship and medical residency at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. She is Board Certified with Fellowship designation in Health Care Quality and Management and a Certified Professional Medical Coder. She completed Six Sigma Green Belt with emphasis on Healthcare at Villanova University. Additionally, she holds a certificate in Trauma-Informed Spiritual Care from Turner Theological Seminary and has completed two units of Clinical Pastoral Education in the Academic Division of Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy at Johns Hopkins Health System. Dr. Burnett is a Life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

As a minister and medical doctor, Rev. Dr. Burnett is a strong advocate of ‘holistic health,’ a concept that embodies physical, psychological, social, economic, and spiritual health, and is powerfully explained in her speeches across the US and the globe.

Her favorite scripture is “Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth” (Jeremiah 33:6 NIV). She can often be found listening to, directing and singing music.