Ministry Focus
Rick has served with Missions Door since 1975. He joined the Executive Leadership Team of the Mission in 1981 and began serving as President in July of 1995. As President, Rick serves as the team leader of the Executive Leadership Team, which provides general oversight of the total ministry and operation of Missions Door. Accountable to an elected Board of Directors, the President is responsible for vision casting, team building, strategic direction and resource discovery.
Faith Story
Rick was born in Montrose, Colorado, and was raised in Cortez. His earliest memories include being taken to church and Sunday school. As a child he responded to a simple Gospel presentation at a Good News Club that met in a neighbor’s garage. Regular attendance and involvement in church, including youth group and Christian camping, encouraged Rick’s spiritual growth and involvement in ministry. During his college years, largely through his involvement as a student in Campus Ambassadors, Rick sensed God’s call upon his life to vocational Christian ministry. After college graduation and two quarters of seminary, Rick was appointed by Missions Door in 1975 as a Campus Ambassador – ministering to college students at his alma mater, the University of Colorado in Boulder. After two years of ministry at CU, Rick and his wife, Patti, moved to Corvallis, Oregon, to launch a new Campus Ambassadors ministry at Oregon State University. In the fall of 1981, Rick and his family left Oregon for Illinois to join the Executive Leadership Team of the Mission and serve as the Director of Campus Ministries. In 1984 Rick became Director of Ministries. He was responsible to resource, supervise and service the overall ministries of the Mission. Rick served in this capacity until July of 1995, when he became President of the Mission.
Family
Rick married, Patti Followwill, in 1977 and enjoyed her partnership for just over 40 years until her death in 2017. The Millers have three adult sons and five grandchildren.
Education
B.A. in American Studies from University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
M.A. in Campus Ministry from Denver Seminary, Denver, CO
M.Div. in World Missions from the Divinity School of Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL
Current Projects
WAYS TO SUPPORT
Rick by making a financial donation using your credit or debit card.
Learn more about where this ministry happens
In colorful communities and along scenic highways, diverse people and landscapes span coast to coast
Iconic American traditions include Thanksgiving dinner, jazz music and the Super Bowl. They meld with eclectic examples of multicultural heritage: numerous local Chinatowns, family-owned taquerias and even cowboy boots, which originated among the nomadic Huns of eastern Europe.
The nation's landscape shows just as many contrasts — sandy beaches and rocky coastlines, open plains and vast deserts, rugged mountains and winding canyons, and abundant rivers and lakes.
The ideals of life and liberty that founded the United States have made the country one of the world's most prosperous, though not without dark chapters and present troubles. Crime, discrimination and ethics violations make regular headlines, and many people live below the national poverty level.
Families view education as essential to the pursuit of happiness, if not also a path to wealth and power for the most ambitious. Yet Americans also demonstrate a charitable spirit of generosity toward neighbors and nations in need.
Freedom of religion grants opportunity for all faiths, but Christianity holds particular influence in country's history and daily life.
Your participation with Missions Door supports ministry in the United States among college students, including many international students, in collaboration local churches. It also enables social outreach, church planting and leadership development in a wide variety of communities — among Native Americans and other cultural groups, and in urban and suburban settings where growing and changing demographics create new opportunities for the Gospel.
Cultural Snapshot
Aside from the Native American, Native Hawaiian and Native Alaskan populations, nearly all Americans and their ancestors immigrated to the United States.
Faith Fact
In a 2013 survey, 56% of Americans said that religion played a "very important role in their lives” — a larger number than any other wealthy nation.
Country Profile
Population: 320 million
Major Religions: 47% Protestant, 23% unaffiliated, 21% Catholic, 6% other
Languages: 82% English, 11% Spanish, various others
Literacy: 99%
Poverty: 16%
Ministry service area:
Executive Leadership Team
Ministry location:
Colorado, United States