COMMISSIONER ANDREW STUART MILLER

      October 14,
1923 - January 19, 2011

Jesus, the very thought of thee with sweetness fills my breast; But sweeter far thy face to see, and in thy presence rest   

Bernard of Clairvaux

In the morning hours, with shouts of "Hallelujah, Praise the Lord", one of the Lord's most Valiant powerful forces for the Kingdom, Commissioner Andrew S. Miller entered through the gates to his Eternal Home from Sunrise at Webb Gin, Lawrenceville, GA, surrounded by loved ones. 

What a home coming it was as he was greeted by family, friends and those who received the Lord and were touched by the ministry of this wonderful man of God. You would often see "Andy", as he was affectionately known, at the altar leading a lost soul to the Lord. It did not matter who they were;  a homeless man on the street or an important government official.  He wanted to make sure that everyone heard the Message of the Gospel.

A Memorial Service is planned for a later date.  Information will be forthcoming.

Let us be in prayer for his dear wife of 64 years, Mrs. Commissioner Joan Miller; daughter, Commissioner Susan (Barry) Swanson, London, England; sons, Major Andrew Miller, Jr of Kansas City, MO and Envoy William Miller of Minneapolis, MN; 9 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

Messages of condolence and prayer may be sent to Mrs. Commissioner Joan Miller, Delmar Gardens, 3100 Club Dr., Apt. 132, Lawrenceville, GA 30044-2591.

Major Diane Boush

Retired Officers Representative

January 19, 2011

Andy Miller’s two strongest contributions to the evangelical movement: He is part of the leadership that has pursued a seamless connection of the church’s evangelistic and social service heritage. And he bucked the separatist impulse of the most conservative churches and reached out to secular leaders–at the same time he stroked the hair and provided food and shelter for the poorest of the poor.

Miller, who held many positions during his 47-year career and served as the national commander from 1986-89, made it a priority to maintain the church’s historic connection of evangelism and social service. He resisted bifurcation of the church and insisted that its social ministry must be evangelistic and its evangelism must include a social service delivery system. “When we do it right,” Miller said, “you can’t tell the difference.”

This breadth was captured in The Salvation Army’s longtime slogan: “Soup, Soap, and Salvation. There is ongoing concern that the social will eclipse the spiritual, and today some in the church are concerned that the national command’s recent approval of the more secular slogan “Doing the Most Good,” may signal that slide. That worry is magnified because the social service effort is so large and the church body that meets in worship each week is relatively small in the U.S.

Although the The Salvation Army’s work can be found in nearly every region of the country and in communities large and small, its people—particularly its staff and clergy–are relatively insulated from both secular culture and the larger evangelical church. Salvationists have traditionally found their worship, social interaction, church conferences, even summer camping and recreation within the denomination, and adherents have traditionally found their marriage partners within the group. These trends have shifted in recent years and the U.S. membership is stagnant, even as giving has increased—bucking national trends.

In the midst of this insular subculture, Miller had an expansive tenure that introduced the church to the powerful and influential of his time. He had a commitment to bear witness about Christ with at least one person every day. After telling President Reagan about this in a meeting, Miller was called back to the White House several weeks later. The President wanted to tell the Salvationist leader that he had taken the opportunity to witness to Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in a face-to-face meeting. In private, Gorbachev told Reagan that his grandmother had him baptized as a young boy and that she had told him about Jesus.

Miller found ways to befriend powerful men as easily as others. He was an usher at Robert Kennedy’s funeral because he met and formed a friendship with the former U.S. Attorney General while jogging on the streets of New York City.

“He is a Salvation Army original,” his biography reads,” and at the same time a symbol of the Army, keeping the Army true to the Army, to its birthright and mission. His life story is the miracle of a bush that burned with fire and yet was not consumed.”

–Jim Jewell

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