Dr. Mary Lou Miller was born and raised in the small town of Picher, Oklahoma. Although
her parents were not regular church attendees, Miller and her brother were encouraged
to attend Sunday school at the local Baptist church. Even at a young age, Miller felt
the pull of God on her life. She received Jesus as her savior when she was nine years
old during a spring revival at her church. Many of her childhood memories include
church camp, vacation Bible school and singing in the church choir.
After earning her degrees in education and mathematics, Dr. Miller received an invitation
to teach math classes at ORU. At first Miller was reluctant but soon realized it was
exactly where God wanted her to be.
Dr. Miller's parents had a big influence on her life. They were both the epitome of
servant leaders in her community, which instilled in her the Godly principle of ministering
to others. After her mother's death in 1990, Dr. Miller and her dad went through a
time of great sorrow together. Her father became actively involved in the church,
and it showed Miller once again how good God really is. Just after Dr. Miller completed
her doctoral degree, her father passed away. It was during the year after her father's
death that she learned more about God's promises then she ever had before.
Dr. Miller believes it is imperative that her spiritual walk be evident to the students
who sit in her classes. She not only starts every class with prayer, but she also
has an open door policy for students needing help with class work or just needing
someone to talk with. Since being at ORU, Dr. Miller has received 12 awards, including
the 2010 Outstanding Faculty Award in the School of Education and the 2010 Outstanding
Faculty Award for Oral Roberts University.
