Jerry and Carolyn Miller joined First Baptist Church in Huntsville in 1960, the first Sunday after they moved to the area following college graduation.
The Millers began teaching a youth Sunday School class one year later, and this July 31, 85-year-old Miller will step down from teaching after more than 60 years.
“God blessed Jerry Miller with wonderful health and perpetual youthfulness,” said Travis Collins, pastor. “Jerry, in turn, invested those gifts into countless teenagers. Only heaven itself will reveal the return on Jerry’s investment.”
Miller has enjoyed working with young people and “playing ball” since high school. As a student athlete in Boaz, Alabama, he frequently led groups of elementary school students to play after-school football games. He dreamed of becoming a youth sports coach but eventually pursued a degree in engineering and began working at NASA after graduating from Auburn University.
Church leaders asked the Millers to teach the “intermediate” — 13- and 14-year-old — Sunday School class in 1961 and the young pair eagerly jumped in though they felt not much older than their students. Through the years he continued teaching youth Sunday School, moving up through older teen groups before settling in to lead 12th grade classes.
Meanwhile, Carolyn shifted to other ministry, eventually serving as Alabama WMU president and then national WMU president.
“I’ve always felt called to work with young people,” Jerry Miller said. “I just feel like it’s a God-calling to work with them. I’ve been sensitive to the needs of young people and I can see where they’re going, where they’ve been and what they’re feeling. So I’ve tried to use that talent to minister to them in any way that I could.”
In 1968 then-youth minister Jane Carter approached Miller with the idea of developing a week-long youth camp. He and other volunteers planned and conducted the first camp late that summer. He has helped with camp each year since then and served as director when needed.
According to Jamie Mackey, minister to students, Miller displays a passion for students and their relationship with Jesus and works to build confidence in them.
“Students know Jerry believes in them,” Mackey explained. “That belief shows up in Bible studies, with Jerry getting students to feel confident reading scripture or praying.”
‘Always there’
Jennifer Matthews first met Miller in 1985 as a shy and nervous junior high student, new to the area and to the church.
“It took me a while to find my way in a new group of kids, but Jerry was always there with a smile, a joke and a laugh to share,” Matthews recalled. “Thinking back, I treasure the way he made my uncomfortable 16-year-old-self feel welcome and special just for walking in the door.”
As an adult, Matthews is raising her children at First Baptist and looks to Miller as a spiritual role model. Her teens also have “Jerry stories” and memories of “foot wars,” basketball games and interesting lessons they’ve learned in Sunday School and at camp under Miller’s leadership.
“Jerry has brought a sense of fun to the kids he’s worked with over the years,” Matthews reflected. “This, I believe, has been highly impactful in my life and in my children’s lives. Jerry sent a loud message without using words that church was a great place to be, and that he valued time with all the kids who walked in the door. He has inspired us to be friendly and gracious to others, as Christ would have us be.”
High school senior, Marshall Miller, said Miller guiding presence helped her learn balance along with Bible truths.
“Jerry is always one to have a serious discussion about something, but he isn’t afraid to joke around and let his humor shine through,” Marshall Miller explained. “Jerry’s interpretation and explanation of the Lord’s word is always what I need to hear, and he always does an amazing job of telling people what he is most passionate about. Jerry’s love for the youth is so strong, and we have been so lucky to have him.”
Stepping aside
Throughout his years at First Baptist Miller has been a buddy, father image and grandfather figure to the students he served. Now a great-grandfather, Miller said he feels the time has come to step away from his active teaching role.
In August he plans to join Carolyn as a student in an adult Sunday School class and the couple, who also volunteer with Baptist Builders for Christ, expects to continue serving in whatever capacity the Lord leads.
“Jerry has stayed up late, played silly games, sought out the lonely, hit up his friends for camp scholarships, taught the Scriptures, loved on ministers, championed the student ministry and supported his church longer than some people have the blessing of living,” Collins recalled. “It is an honor to call Jerry ‘friend’ and to be his pastor.”
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