Immanuel Anglican welcomes new associate pastor
The Rev. Caleb Miller has joined Immanuel Anglican Church in Destin as associate pastor, serving alongside the Rev. Mike Hesse and the church’s ministry team. Miller and his family, wife Anna, young daughter Camden, and mother-in-law Becky Howard, recently moved to Destin from a small parish in Virginia where he had served as senior pastor.
Born in Kansas, Miller was raised a Baptist in a third-generation wheat farming family. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Oklahoma State University as well as master’s degrees in divinity and theology from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary.
“At Immanuel, Caleb will focus mainly on our small group ministry and work with young adults,” said Hesse, Immanuel’s senior pastor. “He recently started a new group for young singles, parents or couples that meets for dinner, fellowship and study on the second and fourth Sunday of the month.”
Hesse noted that small ministry groups, called Net Groups at Immanuel, have been a key part of the congregation’s life for more than 25 years.
“It’s a great way for folks to explore faith, to learn, grow and connect with others.”
Prior to serving in Virginia, Miller was associate priest for family ministries at The Mission Anglican Church in Pensacola, Fla., and served as chair of the Bible Department and a Bible teacher at Modesto Christian High School in California for four years. He also previously pastored a Baptist Church in Pennsylvania and was involved in various other ministries, including the Kodiak Baptist Mission in Alaska, where he first met his wife.
“Anna and I are so pleased to return to Florida and serve at Immanuel. The church’s balance of the equal importance of scripture, the work of the Holy Spirit and the historic sacraments is a focus I feel can touch and heal those who are searching for more spiritual meaning in today’s chaotic world,” he said, explaining that the three streams of scripture, Spirit and sacrament were what first drew him to Anglican-style worship while in seminary.
Miller and Father Mike weekly rotate the duty of presenting a central message from God’s word at Immanuel’s two Sunday worship services, but both pastors jointly lead the congregation in worship.
“Our 9 a.m. worship is a Spirit-filled service that follows a more traditional liturgical style, and our 11:01 service, with a praise band, offers more casual worship. Both services offer ministries for children and weekly observance of the Holy Communion,” Miller said.
In addition to ministry interests in teaching the Bible, theology and culture, and world religions, Miller says he enjoys college football, the New England Patriots, the Boston Red Sox, and reading, in addition to involvement with running for exercise. He and his wife have been married for nine years. Anna was born and raised in California and graduated from California State University-Stanislaus with an emphasis in child development and has a background as a pre-school teacher. As a runner, Anna enjoys her work at Run With It in Fort Walton Beach.
For information on Immanuel Anglican, the church’s various adult, youth and children’s ministries, or the new young adult Net group, contact Rev. Caleb Miller at the church at 837-6324 or visit www.IACdestin.org. The church is at 250 Indian Bayou Trail just a tenth mile from the Destin Dog Park and next to Destin Airport.