By Brittany N. Howerton
Performing original monologues of historic women of faith comes naturally for Laurita Miller, whose dramatic skills first surfaced as a child creating skits for her dolls and then found form as a college student studying theater.
Miller developed a deep passion for missions and evangelism during her years growing up as a missionary kid (MK) in Hawaii, and she decided to harness that passion with her love for drama. She wants her gifts of drama to advance God’s Kingdom.
A member of Community Baptist Church, Maylene, in Shelby Baptist Association, Miller has portrayed women such as Lottie Moon, Elisabeth Elliot and Mary the mother of Jesus since 1986.
She landed her first national stage that year when the national Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) needed someone to do dramatic monologues at its annual meeting. WMU leaders contacted Harrell Hunt, a theater professor at Samford University in Birmingham, for suggestions. He knew just who to recommend — Miller, a 1972 Samford graduate with a degree in speech and drama.
In recent years, Miller has performed for scores of Baptist representatives going through missions orientation at the International Mission Board (IMB). She was recruited by IMB President Jerry Rankin.
“Laurita is obviously a gifted dramatist, but her heart for missions is obvious in the way she identifies with her character and reflects not only events and life issues but the heat and passion of characters such as Lottie Moon,” said Rankin, who first saw Miller perform as Lottie Moon at a church nearly three years ago.
“I was impressed that it would be good to bring her to the new missionary orientation as this new generation of missionaries have not been through traditional missions education organizations or necessarily from churches that give a significant emphasis to missions,” he said. “They know Lottie Moon as a 19th-century missionary but do not understand the significance of her life and influence and why our annual offering is named for her.”
Debra Short, who serves as the WMU and women’s ministry director at Community Baptist, said Miller’s heart for missions and joy for life is contagious.
“I’m sure that being brought up as an MK has a lot to do with that, but so many times when we’re planning things with the women’s ministry, she always draws us back to ‘let’s do something missions-minded.’ Whether it be locally or reaching out to other people, that’s just on her mind constantly,” Short explained describing her friend and women’s ministry partner of four years.
Bo Brown, pastor of Community Baptist, compared Miller’s performances to “a one-woman Broadway show.”
“Looking like Lottie Moon and dressed as Lottie Moon, she takes you through [Moon’s life] all the way until she died,” Brown explained. “[Her performances] rekindle an understanding of foreign missions — that’s the emphasis completely. The testimony of [Moon’s] salvation is mixed in too, but the idea is the wholehearted effort in missions.”
Miller said she enjoys the opportunities to be a part of orienting families to the life of Lottie Moon. She said she hopes Lottie Moon’s life will motivate others in the same way her life has been affected.
“I don’t compare myself to Lottie Moon but I think she’s inspired me. … (In the same way) I want to inspire missions further,” Miller said.
Alan Stone, a member of Ridgecrest Baptist Church, Trussville, in Birmingham Baptist Association, serves with his wife as a Baptist representative in Peru. He was able to see Miller perform as Lottie Moon at his missions orientation last December.
“Her performance centered on the life and legacy of Lottie Moon and her dedication to the Chinese people,” Stone said. “After the performance, you definitely had a better understanding of the real meaning behind the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. No longer was it just a name, but it was the person behind the name and why she became synonymous with international missions for Southern Baptists.
“As a missionary, my life was challenged, and I had a greater appreciation of what my predecessors went through so I could serve today.”
Another couple from Birmingham now serving as Baptist representatives in the IMB’s South America region added, “She really made Lottie come alive in the monologue as she described the history of her life and the changes that were made because of her devotion to seeing people come to Christ.”
Miller said because all of her monologues deal with God’s transformation in life, that is exactly what she hopes listeners take away.
“It is up to us to help change the world. … God can transform your life and use you to help change the world,” she said.
Miller said she hopes the message in her monologues can parallel her mission in life.
“Lottie Moon, no doubt, was not only called by God but ordained by God,” she explained. “As women, we cannot allow ourselves to be disenfranchised. He’s got work for us to do and we have to do it. That’s the parallel (for my life). I’m doing what God has called me to do and it’s gratifying.”
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