Bishop Deborah Lieder Kiesey was born 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. She attended Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, where she graduated with honors with a double major in Religion and Piano Performance. She was named Outstanding Alumna of the Year for Morningside College.

Deb first felt a call to the ordained ministry while a student at Boston University School of Theology and she earned her Master of Divinity degree there. Upon her return to Iowa, she married D. Bradley Kiesey, an attorney from Washington, Iowa. They have been blessed with two adult sons, Joel and Aaron.

Upon ordination, 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 by the North Central Jurisdictional Conference and appointed to the Dakotas Area.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. After serving 8 years in the Dakotas Area, she was assigned to the Michigan Area in July 2012.

She is married to D. Bradley Kiesey, an attorney.