New pastor encourages close relationships

By Kurt Esposito
Assistant Campus Editor

A minister. A counselor. A lecturer. A comedian.

"What more would you want on a Sunday morning," jokes Rev. T.J. Jenney about Will Miller, the new pastor of teaching and counseling at University Church at Purdue.

Miller will work in the pastoral counseling services and participate in the worship services. "I'm really enthused for the opportunity to expand the congregation to include not only undergraduate students but also graduate students and faculty as well; a congregation for the Purdue community," Miller said.

Jenney, senior pastor, said the church is pleased to have Miller and feels he will help the church — which now has 300 people regularly attending service during the school year — continue to grow.

One of the things Miller is working on is a three-part seminary on pop culture and how religion can be worked into daily life. Glenn Sparks, professor of communication and friend of Miller's, said Miller has an "astute awareness of pop culture and understands how it factors into people's lives."

Because the position is part time, Miller will still be able to devote attention to his other endeavors. He is a corporate speaker for companies such as Microsoft, AT&T and IBM and is a guest lecturer for the Executive MBA program at the Krannert School of Management.

Next year he will release his new book, "Refrigerator Rights: Creating Essential Relationships;" the title refers to people who are close enough to go into one another's refrigerator without asking. The book is about how to build strong relationships after leaving home.

"The idea is that most Americans don’t have enough close relationships to keep them happy with life," he said.

Building and keeping close relationships, he said, is essential to a happy life. A church, he feels, is a good place to build those close relationships. He said many people go to church for worship, but forget what it also can provide — a community. These close relationships are what he promotes when speaking to corporations or to his congregations because they are essential to encouragement.

Sparks said the key to Miller is that he knows how to encourage people. He said Miller has a natural ability to read people and knows what they react to.

Miller, an ordained minister, has worked as an assistant pastor and clinical social worker. He's also worked as a nationally touring stand-up comedian. Once he had a show at 11 on a Saturday night in Lake Placid, N.Y. and had to perform a service at 9 the next morning in New Jersey. After an eight-hour drive he performed the service without any sleep.

"It went OK — I think," he said.

He jokes that he was so tired he probably went into a comedy routine asking the congregation, "Hey, how's it going? You from Jersey? What exit?"

Miller has also been a featured guest on "The Larry King Show," "The O'Reilly Factor" and the "Bob and Tom Show." He is also the on-air spokesman for "Nick-at-Nite" and hosted a daytime talk show for NBC called "The Other Side."

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Campus editor: Laura Pelner

Assistant campus editors: Kurt Esposito, Dave Stephens

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