Lisle minister speaks at MLK breakfast
The Rev. James F. Miller's messages have resonated so well with area residents that his DuPage AME Church in Lisle has grown from 150 to nearly 2,300 members in the past two decades.
He has led the church, and two prior posts in Chicago houses of worship, with an emphasis on personal spiritual growth and church evangelism. He also wrote "Go Build A Church: Spiritual Administration for Growth" and the accompanying workbook, "40 Days to Spiritual and Statistical Growth."
Miller's experiences and views of nonviolence and appreciating diversity mirror the dreams espoused by the Rev. Martin Luther King more than four decades ago. His message is an ideal topic for the College of DuPage and Benedictine University's annual breakfast honoring the slain Civil Rights leader, event organizers say.
Miller will be the keynote speaker Monday at the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast sponsored by the two schools.
"He's done so much for the community," Denise West of Benedictine University. "He is an inspiring speaker. He has a message that we can certainly all learn from."
Miller will speak on the topic "Let's Get Together" following the breakfast, which begins at 8 a.m. at Benedictine's Krasa Center on the Lisle campus, 5700 College Road.
"He has a good vision for how we can move forward," West said. "The message is so timely. People need to learn to live together."
Miller also is an adjunct professor at Wheaton College in Black Church History, chairman of the board of REACH Ministries and a life member of the NAACP and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, among other organizations.
Past speakers at the MLK breakfasts have included ComEd Chairman and CEO Frank Clark, University of Maryland-Baltimore President Freeman Hrabowski and Reginald Weaver, then president of the National Education Association.
"We don't want people to forget," said Cynthia Johnson of COD. "The values Martin Luther King Jr. espoused are relevant today. We don't want to lose sight of them."
After the breakfast, guests can choose from two breakout sessions that are expected to run from 9:30 to roughly 11:30 a.m.
Benedictine President William J. Carroll and Joseph E. Collins, interim vice president for academic affairs at College of DuPage, will lead an interactive discussion session on "Living Together." The Public Policy Institute of College of DuPage will host a more structured discussion on "Democracy's Challenge: Reclaiming the Public's Role."
Tickets are $30 and a portion of the proceeds benefits the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Fund.
For information, call Cynthia Johnson at (630) 942-3872 or see cod.edu/mlk. For tickets, call the COD McAninch Arts Center box office at (630) 942-4000.
<p class="News"><b>If you go</b></p> <p class="News"><b>What:</b> The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast sponsored by College of DuPage and Benedictine University</p> <p class="News"><b>When:</b> 8 a.m. Monday</p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Krasa Center at Benedictine University, 5700 College Road, Lisle</p> <p class="News"><b>Cost:</b> $30</p> <p class="News"><b>Info:</b> (630) 942-3872 or cod.edu/mlk; (630) 942-4000 for tickets</p> <div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=265271">Volunteers to spread King's spirit in Lake County</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=264626">DuPage County's longest-running King celebration continues </a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=264619">Filmmaker visits North Central for King events</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=264616">Lisle minister speaks at MLK breakfast</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=265285">Elgin MLK breakfast honors his dream</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>