Rev. J. Lynn Pier-Fitzgerald received a B.A. in Sociology/Religion from Cornell College in 1972, a Masters in Divinity from the Chicago Theological Seminary in 1978 and was ordained a Deacon in 1972 and an Elder in 1980 by the West Michigan Annual Conference. She has served as Pastor of Gunnisonville/Chapel Hill UMC in East Lansing, MI; Co-Pastor of White Cloud UMC in White Cloud, MI; Associate Pastor, Wyoming Park UMC in Wyoming, MI; Pastor of Plainfield UMC in Grand Rapids, MI and as District Superintendent of the Grand Traverse District in Traverse City, MI.

In addition, she has served as member and Chair of the Michigan Conference Board of Ordained Ministry; Chair of the Northeast Community Ministry Board of Directors; Metro Ministry Executive Committee of Grand Rapids; Chair of the West Michigan Conference Leadership Council; Dean of the West Michigan Cabinet; Cabinet Representative to the Council on Finance & Administration and Board of Pensions; and was elected a delegate to the United Methodist General Conference and North Central Jurisdictional Conference on several occasions.