By Ms. Elexis Wilson, 4th Episcopal District
Matthew 24:44a says, “Therefore you also must be ready.” It was -3 in the Chicago-land area prior to the morning of December 25, 1996. Bishop James Haskell Mayo dialed the Rev. Dr. Hercules Miles, the then director of the Department of Church Extension and asked for a denominational guarantee for the bank loan to be given to DuPage AME Church in Lisle, Illinois. The Rev. James Miller and the DuPage family had been in constant prayer for the loan to be granted. The bank acquiesced with the conditions of the AME Church to guarantee the loan.
Prior to New Year’s Day, sitting in the living room watching his grandchildren play with their new toys, Presiding Elder Roy Lynn Miller got a call that the $1million loan guarantee was granted to DuPage AME Church. With a “thank you, Lord,” he turned to the Rev. Miller and shared the news. This is a moment that the Rev. Miller has never forgotten. It was a moment that proved the dedication and wisdom of the Rev. Miles.
The Department of Church Extension was responsible for church planting and assisting struggling churches as well as securing and developing places of worship. Currently, this department is now held under the Department of Church Growth and Development.
The Rev. Miles followed the guidance of the Discipline and listened to the words of the Lord when making his decisions. Relationships and belief in the leadership of the churches played a huge role in his decision-making. “I believed that Jimmy (the Rev. Miller) was a progressive pastor and he proved to be,” the Rev. Miles posited.
DuPage AME Church is still a progressively-growing ministry under the leadership of the Rev. Miller. Entering 29 years of his pastoral ministry, the Rev. Miller and the DuPage AME Church family has gone from 150 to 2,000 members with an annual budget of $2 million.
The church has expanded from an $80,000 building to a $7 million campus. The Rev. Miles used his gifts and talents to assist in the development of many churches across the Connectional church. The Rev. Miller and DuPage AME Church thank and celebrate the man that saved the day, the Rev. Miles! He currently resides in the Texas-metro area and is a member of Smith Chapel AME Church in Dallas.
