About Miriam’s Promise
Founded in 1985 by the Tennessee Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church to provide unplanned pregnancy counseling and parenting and adoption services.
Our History
What’s in a name?
For Miriam’s Promise,
plenty.
From the very beginning, the pregnancy, parenting and adoption agency was inspired by the biblical story of Miriam, the sister of Moses. Found in Exodus 2:1-10, the passage tells the tale of a woman who hid her baby in a basket in the Nile, fearing for his life. At the time, the Pharaoh of Egypt feared that the growing population of Israelites in his country might side with Egypt’s enemies; he ordered that all baby boys delivered by the Hebrew midwives be killed.
But this woman made a plan for her son—the boy who would grow to become Moses, leader of his people. His sister Miriam watched from the banks, and when the Pharaoh’s daughter discovered the child and decided to adopt him, Miriam stepped up to offer the baby’s mother as a wet nurse.
The mother made a loving choice. The adoptive parent took him in. And the sister helped bridge the gap.
Today, Miriam’s Promise serves as that bridge. Originally intended to be a small satellite office of Holston United Methodist Home for Children of Greeneville, Tenn., we’ve grown to offer a great variety of services for children and families alike. Miriam’s Promise was established in 1985, and became an independent not-for-profit adoption agency in 2003.
Our Core Values
Along with our mission to ensure the well-being of the child by nurturing individuals and families, we look to these core values to guide all that we do.
Permanency for children
We know that to make healthy attachments, children must feel safe and cared for consistently.
Family nurturing
We take a holistic approach to the family unit and don’t focus on only one member of the adoption triad.
Respect for individuals and choices
It is not our job to force anyone to do anything they do not want to do. If an expectant parent chooses to make an adoption plan, we support them. If an expectant parent chooses to parent their child, we support them.
Engagement
Our hope is to always assess the expressed needs of the community and then engage in ways that are helpful and hopeful.
Diversity, equity, &
inclusion
Miriam’s Promise is committed to welcoming and affirming all voices and perspectives throughout our organization. All humans, regardless of color, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, or different abilities are valued. We know that only through diversity, equity, and inclusion will we reach our full potential.
Faith in God
It is through our faith that we, as an organization, can continue to enable our clients to create family situtations that are best for them.
Our team
Meet the Staff
J. Dietz Osborne, M.S.
President & CEO
Dietz is originally from Little Rock, AR and holds a BA in Theatre Arts from UA Little Rock and a Master’s degree in Management & Leadership from Western Governors University.
Lee-Ann Higgins, LMSW
Director of Program Services
Lee-Ann earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Blackburn College in Carlinville, IL and her Master’s Degree in Social Work from The University of Tennessee.
Joanna Torres, M.A.
Pregnancy & Adoption Counselor
Joanna Torres earned her Master’s degree in Human Behavior from National University in Costa Mesa, CA, and her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development from Hope International University in Fullerton, CA.
Michael McGarvey
Mission & Program Coordinator
Michael McGarvey is a Nashville native and holds a B.S. in Religious Studies from Middle Tennessee State University. He is working on his Master of Science at Belmont University.
Jackie Kutcher, LMSW.
Pregnancy & Adoption Counselor
Jackie holds a B.S.W. and an M.S.W. and is a certified TBRI practitioner.
Stories
Miriam’s Promise Stories
2023
Our Board of Directors
Officers
Chair:
Mr. Joe Bass, Communications Strategist, Pinnacle Financial
Secretary:
Ms. Tammy Love, Director Coding Classification & Policy, American Hospital Association
Treasurer:
Mr. Johnny Peppers, Owner, PMI. Adjunct Prof. NSCC
Past Chair:
Ms. Hailee Hunt-Hawkins, PMHNP, MSN, RN, Empowered Integrated Healthcare
President & CEO:
Mr. J. Dietz Osborne, M.S.
Directors
Mr. Fred Brown, Chaplain, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital
Dr. Helen Cavasin, OB/GYN: Hendersonville Obstetrics
Directors continued
Mr. Will Ferrell, Certified Lay Servant, Calvary United Methodist Church
Mr. Rick Fox, Principal/Owner, Fox Associates
Ms. Elisabeth Garcia, Lead Speech-Language Pathologist, Clinical Sup. Feltz Therapy Services
Ms. Kasey Hamilton, Early Childhood Education Specialist, Tennessee Department of Education
Ms. Beth Morris, Associate Director: Administration & Alumni
Relations, Wesley Foundation MTSU
Ms. Ann Rybka, Director, Atlas Insight LLC
Ms. Ferrol Thomas, Div. VP, Clinical Ed, HCA Healthcare/TriStar Division.
Rev. Jerry Wallace, District Superintendent, Cumberland District, UMC.
Be Part of the Team
We are interested in highly motivated individuals with a heart for pregnancy counseling, parenting coaching, and adoption-related services. Since 1985, Miriam’s Promise has offered hope and healing to thousands of Middle Tennessee expectant parents, birth parents, children, and adoptive families coping with issues of grief, loss, and transition. If you are interested in being part of our team, please email Dietz Osborne. We currently do not have any postions open.
Miriam’s Promise is an equal opportunity employer, fully committed to ensuring equal opportunity to all employees and applicants regardless of race, creed, gender, age, color, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity or veteran status. Miriam’s Promise’s commitment to equal opportunity is reflected in our advertising, recruiting, hiring, compensation, promotions, transfers, training, benefits, and all other terms and conditions of employment.
Support Our Mission
We rely on the generous support of volunteers and donors to make a difference