Our Pastor

ALBERT G. MILLER

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Albert G. Miller who is affectionately known as “A.G.” has taught at Oberlin College since 1991 as Associate Professor of Religion and African American Studies in the Department of Religion, where he teaches American and African American religious history.

A.G. is the author of the book, Elevating the Race: Theophilus G. Steward, Black Theology, and the Making of an African-American Civil Society, 1865-1924, which was published in 2003 by the University of Tennessee Press.  Miller is also presently researching and writing a second book entitled, Fundamentally Black: The Rise of Evangelicalism on the African-American Community.  Miller has written several articles including, “The Black Apostle to White Evangelicals” in Mobilizing for the Common Good: The Lived Theology of John M. Perkins. eds. Charles Marsh, Peter Slade and Peter Heltzel. University Press of Mississippi (Fall 2013), “The Construction of a Black Fundamentalist Worldview: The Role of Bible Schools” in African Americans and the Bible: Sacred Texts and Social Textures edited by Vincent L. Wimbush, New York: Continuum, 2000; and “The Rise of Black Evangelicalism in American Culture” in Perspectives on American Religion and Culture, published by Blackwell Publishers, Ltd. 1999; and “At-Risk Youth, At-Risk Church: What Jesus Christ and Black Teenagers are Saying to the Black Church” in The Princeton Lectures on Youth, Church and Culture, published by Princeton Theological Seminary.  He has a forthcoming article “The Black Apostle to White Evangelicals” in Journey toward Justice: Exploring the Legacy of John M. Perkins. eds. Charles Marsh, Peter Slade and Peter Heltzel. University Press of Mississippi (Fall 2012)

He also has served as pastor of the Oberlin House of the Lord Fellowship since its inception in 2001.  The Fellowship started as a Bible study in his home three years before and has evolved to a vibrant congregation. He was ordained Senior Minister with the House of the Lord and Church on the Mount, Inc (also known as the House of the Lord Pentecostal Churches) in 1981 and was appointed District Minister for the Midwest District in 1997 of The House of The Lord and Church on the Mount, Inc.  Pastor A.G. also serves on the denomination’s highest administrative body, the National Board of Elder.

A.G.’s ministry experience varies widely.  He served as Organizing Minister, The House of the Lord Pentecostal Fellowship, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1988 to 1991 and as Associate Minister under the leadership of Bishop Herbert D. Daughtry with The House of the Lord Pentecostal Church, Brooklyn, New York from 1980 to 1982.  He has served as youth minister of Young Life Stamford, Connecticut and New Life on the Lower East Side in New York, New York.

A.G. served in various ministry leadership and administrative positions.  He served as Director of Recruitment and Training with Young Life’s National Office of Urban Affairs (a national Christian youth organization), Denver, Colorado from 1982 to 1986 and as Addiction Program Administrator at the Bedford-Stuyvesant Comprehensive Alcoholism Treatment Center, Brooklyn, New York from 1979 – 1980.  He has worked as a social worker with a variety of social work and youth-serving agencies such as the YMCA/Career Opportunities for Brooklyn Youth and the Protestant Board of Guardians – Youth Guardian Services in Brooklyn, New York.  A.G. also served as a Group Home Director and Child Care Counselor with Project Contact of the Educational Alliance, New York, New York.

A.G. received B.S.W. and M.S.W. degrees in social work from Adelphi University and the M.A. and Ph.D. in religion from Princeton University and has done further study at Union Theological Seminary in New York, New York and Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado.

A.G. has been committed to serving in the local community where he has resided especially in the area of youth and children.  A.G. was the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Save Our Children, Inc of Asbury United Methodist Church in Elyria, Ohio.  He served on the Board of Director of Lorain County Access, an agency that promoted higher education in Lorain County, Ohio.   A.G. is a founding member of the Oberlin Community Youth Scholarship Fund and has served as its co-chair from 2006-2011.  A.G. also is a founding advisory committee member of The Bridge, Oberlin’s free community computer technology center.  He is also a founding member of Oberlin Black Alliance for Progress (OBAP), a local grassroots community organization.

A.G. is married to Brenda Grier-Miller for 42 wonderful years and he is the father of four marvelous children: Isoke, Caleb, Imani and Opuruiché and the grandfather of three beautiful granddaughters and one grandson.

 

Associate Minister

Brenda Grier-Miller

BGM

 

The Reverend Brenda Grier-Miller is a native of Brooklyn, New York.  She attended the New York City public school system, through high school.  She pursued Early Childhood Education at New York City Community College and Marymount Manhattan College, and later completed a BSSW at Adelphi University’s School of Social Work.  Brenda received her MSSW from Case Western Reserve University’s Mandel School of Social Sciences in May 2000.  Brenda, now retired, served at Oberlin College for 24 years as Associate Dean of Student Support Services and as a Class Dean, servicing the total student body, with special outreach to first generation, low income college students, and students with disabilities.

During her adolescent years Brenda accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior.  Over the past 52 years Brenda has been graced to know the Lord as her Jehovah God (God ever becoming), being all that she needs; savior, friend, healer, protector, provider, teacher, guide, fortress, and strength.  In other words, whatever she has needed He has become. Brenda  responded to a call to ministry and was ordained as a senior minister under the House of The Lord Pentecostal Church, October 11, 2003, in Brooklyn, New York.  She would encourage anyone who has not yet come to know God in such a way, to stop and open the door of your life to Him and invite Him in.  He stands at the door of each heart knocking, waiting, wanting to enter a relationship with you.  He wants to be to you what He is being to Brenda and so many others, Jehovah God (God ever becoming), all that you need.

Minister Brenda had worked in the field of Youth Ministry for years in both direct contact work (New Life in New York City/Young Life) as well as consulting work.  She sees youth to be the bearers of our future as a society as well as a people.  Because of her work with children, youth and families, social work was a logical discipline in which to be degreed. It was this earlier work and passion for youth that set the stage for her last 24-year career in Higher Education. Brenda has been blessed with a creative spirit and, over the years, has watched God use that spirit in the workplace in program development with adolescent girls, teen parents, youth ministers and college students. This same spirit is evidenced in her community work.  She has created and directed summer day camps for the arts for middle school students (Summer in the City), as well as creative programming for high school students. Brenda believes that no resource should go untapped in an effort to reach out to youth, and no resource is too small or too big.  Our youth deserve all that we have to contribute to initiate them into healthy adults.

As part of her commitment to serve the community, Brenda served as a trustee on the Oberlin Public Library Board and The Nord Family Foundation Board, both based in Lorain County, Ohio.  Brenda also serves on the National House of the Lord’s Department of Women’s Works Board.

Brenda is the wife of forty-two years to Albert G. Miller, better known to some as A.G.  They became members of The House of The Lord Church some thirty eight years ago.  At that time, they were looking for a church home in which they could unite their political beliefs with their spiritual beliefs.  They found a home at “The House.”  Together they have been blessed to birth and parent four wonderful children, Opuruiche Imani (Chris), Caleb (M’Balia) and Isoke; and three bold and beautiful granddaughters and one energetic charming grandson.