Jack Miller (pastor)

C. John Miller (1928–1996[1]), usually known as Jack Miller, was an American Presbyterian pastor. He served as pastor of New Life Presbyterian Church in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, and taught practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary.

Miller founded World Harvest Mission (now named Serge) and the New Life Presbyterian network of Orthodox Presbyterian churches.[2] He was known for emphasizing the Christian's status as a child of God, a view known as sonship theology. Tullian Tchividjian notes that Miller summed up the gospel in this way: "Cheer up; you're a lot worse off than you think you are, but in Jesus you're far more loved than you could have ever imagined."[3]

Gary North argues that Miller was "deeply affected by the counter-culture", and this led him to adopt new, people-oriented approaches to evangelism.[4] Chad B. Van Dixhoorn suggests that Miller's Sonship program stemmed from three and a half months spent in Spain overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Miller "studied the promises of Scripture for three and a half months culminating in a mountaintop experience, or its seaside equivalent. He returned to America with two things on his mind, adoption and revival."[5]

Miller wrote a number of books, most notably Outgrowing the Ingrown Church (1986). A volume of his letters, The Heart of a Servant Leader, was published in 2004.

In 2020, P&R Publishing is scheduled to release a biography written by Dr. Michael A. Graham titled “Cheer Up! The Life, Teaching, and Ministry of C. John ‘Jack’ Miller.”