Farewell Miller Family
I would like to pay tribute to a Godly man and his family this week.
I have been blessed to have some great men serve with me over the past 25 years in the ministry. Most of them have come to work with me in their first vocational church position. Most went on to pastor their first church. We generally work together for about 2-3 years.
It has always been a joy to see them grow in the ministry and move to the next step. However it is also heart breaking because you become family.
Sunday, July 7 we will say good-bye to a dear friend and partner, Rev. Paul Miller. We ordained him into the Gospel Ministry May 12, 2002. After serving Shiloh Baptist Church and Jasper County for the past 11 years he is now moving to the next step in the ministry.
He and his family will be moving nearly 1,000 miles away to Chariton, Iowa. He will become the senior pastor at Cornerstone Community Church.
Over the past 11 years, I have watched as he poured his heart and life into the ministry. I have ministered to him in times of joy and in times of heartache. He in turn has done the same for me.
We have both faced the death of our fathers together, and I have been with him during the sickness and death of his mother-in-law. I have watched his family grow from a family of four to now a family of seven.
During his time here he conducted his first baptism, wedding, funeral, and the list goes on. We have laughed together and shed tears together. We have dreamed together of what God could do at the corner of Post Road and Hwy 142. Now Paul is a seasoned pastor and is going to the next part of his ministry life.
I broke him in good from the beginning. I took him to Super Wow at Jekyll Island with about 35 teenagers. We were at the water park and I talked the lady into letting us break the rules. Paul is around 5’6’’ and about 173 pounds at this time. On the other hand I was 6’4” and weighing about 260 pounds.
The larger person is supposed to sit on the front of the tube, but we got her to let us reverse it. Let’s just say on that day I learned the reason for the rule. As we went into the black tunnel we were moving so fast that my nose was rubbing the top of the tube. We ended up hitting the end wall. Paul would later refer to the ride as the time he felt like the little Mack truck hood ornament.
One of the highlights of our ministry together has been our annual church staff planning retreats. Something unique always happens and we name the retreat after the unusual happenings.
One time we almost got murdered in Atlanta because I needed hair gel. Another time we were lost in the North Georgia Mountains late at night, while looking for our retreat site. The road turned to dirt and suddenly it narrowed. Paul said, “What are you doing; taking us on a pig trail retreat?” As soon as he said that, there was a pig crossing sign and then we were in someone’s front yard.”
Let me just say that pulling up in some mountain persons front yard after midnight is not a good idea.
As he leaves, he is still the smartest person I have ever known, and he has been a dedicated partner for all these years.
Shiloh Baptist Church, Jasper County and all those around are going to miss this great family. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to train and work with this great man of God.
Now we too will bring on another one to train and work with. God Bless the Millers, We love you!!!