St. John’s Church of Millersburg installs pastor Bill Miller

On Sunday, Oct. 25 the Rev. Bill Miller was installed as pastor of St. John’s Evangelical and Covenant Church. The primary speakers were the Rev. Kenneth Walther and the Rev. Garth McGrath. Walther was the previous pastor of St. John’s for 17 years. His message was addressed to Miller to “come before winter,” taken from the book of 2 Timothy. He highlighted similarities between the apostle Paul and Timothy, Paul’s young associate, to Walther and Miller. Paul told Timothy to “come before winter” that he, Paul, had fought a good fight, finished the race and kept the faith. Paul instructed Timothy to go forward, endure criticism and hardship, cherish friendships and spread the good news of Christ into the world. Walther, having stood on the spot at Olympia where the Olympic Torch bearer starts, presented Pastor Bill with memoirs from Olympia. He instructed Miller, as the Paul instructed Timothy, that he arrived before winter, and that now as the spiritual leader of St. John’s, to take the “torch” and lead St. John’s forward spreading the teachings of Christ throughout the community and the world.McGrath, the superintendent of the Great Lakes Association of the Evangelical Covenant Church, performed the official installation of Miller. McGrath also charged Miller as apostle Paul charged Timothy, to go forward and lead St. John’s in the footsteps of his predecessor spreading the Gospel of Christ.Other participants in the service included: Harris Swain, church council president; Michelle Rodhe, search committee chairperson; and pastor Larry Hasemeyer, pastor or Gateway Fellowship. Hasemeyer presented Miller with a symbolic “stone” as Jacob used to rest his head and dream about the “House of God” and his calling. Hasemeyer told Miller to use the stone as Jacob did to dream about his calling to St. John’s. Miller’s daughters, Jordan, Jizelle and Jaylyn, presented special music during the service.The members of St. John’s warmly welcome the Miller family into its church family. Miller is a graduate of The Ohio State University. His wife, Jayme, is a graduate of the University of Indiana, and both attended the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Before moving back to Ohio in 2012, they settled in Miami, Florida, and founded a church that Miller pastored for fourteen years. They have four children: James of Seattle, Washington; Jordan of Nashville, Tennessee; and Jizelle and Jaylyn both attend Indiana Wesleyan University. The service was followed by a barbecue chicken dinner for members and guests of St. John’s.