September 10, 2024
HEBER SPRINGS, Ark. (BP) – Southern Baptist evangelist David Miller, known as a “Country Preacher at Large” for his humble, hospitable and straightforward style of Bible preaching, was laid to rest Monday, Aug. 12, in his hometown. He was 78.
Miller became burdened for the next generation of preachers, according to his obituary, and began traveling across the country to preach in churches to encourage local pastors and congregations during the last 25 years of his ministry.
A 2016 Baptist Press article told how the Expository Preaching Conference hosted through his home church, Tumbling Shoals Baptist in Heber Springs, had served more than 1,500 preachers.
Miller was known for his simple, line-by-line Bible preaching style, which he would demonstrate before a congregation of double digits one day and then at a conference attended by thousands the next.
Peroneal muscular atrophy bound Miller to a wheelchair. While the disability did not stop him, it limited the use of his legs, arms and hands. To meet the challenge, he memorized long passages of Scripture he used in sermons as well as his preaching notes.
“He was a Barnabas,” said Mark Williams, Tumbling Shoals’ pastor. “I was able to come to him for advice, for counsel and for the occasional preaching tip.
“He is the kind of church member that every pastor prays to have in the congregation. He was kind and gentle, loving and warm.”
Though he was often on the road, Miller cared about the ministry of his local church, Williams said, adding: “He would go out of his way to make guests feel welcome and stay in touch with as many of his fellow members as he could. As a brother in the church, he was one of my biggest encouragers.”
Miller’s kindness and conviction reached far beyond Heber Springs.
“When I was elected as president of @sbts in 1993, one of the most stalwart defenders of truth in SBC history was one of our trustees – Evangelist David Miller,” Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler posted on X Aug. 8.
“David Miller lived what he preached, and he preached and taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” Mohler said. “He affirmed without question the inerrancy and authority of the Bible. He also knew how to hold fast to the profession of his faith without wavering. He encouraged me immensely.”
The friendship between Miller and Mohler shaped preachers in ways they could not have foreseen in the early 1990s.
In a 2018 Southern Equip article, longtime pastor and SBTS professor Hershael York recounted how David Miller was who first introduced him to Mohler.
York became the SBTS’ professor of Christian preaching in 1999 and dean of the School of Theology in 2018, roles he still holds today.
“He (Miller) was the most remarkable man I ever knew,” York told Baptist Press. “He faced and overcame tremendous physical challenges because he had a single spiritual compulsion: to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ at all costs and in every place.”
York, who is himself a sought-after conference preacher across the SBC, said of Miller, “His impact on me is so great that I cannot imagine what my life would be had I not known him. He was my hero and became one of my closest friends, and knowing him closely for decades only made me admire him even more.”
Miller previously served as the director of missions for the Little Red River Baptist Association in Heber Springs and pastored Botkinburg Baptist Church, Rupert Baptist Church and Belleville Baptist Church, all in Arkansas.
He was a graduate of State College of Arkansas, Williams Baptist College and Arkansas Tech.
He was preceded in death by Glenda, his wife of 55 years. He is survived by his son, Josh, and grandson, Malachi (Savannah).
“Brother David loved the church. He loved God’s people. And He loved His Savior,” said Williams.
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This story was first published by Baptist Press.
