I am so glad to be connected to you and have this opportunity to wish you well as we celebrate the Advent of our Lord and the end of 2020!!!! Perhaps we will have a better year in 2021.

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Information gathered from ADVENT CHRISTIAN HISTORY (Ch. 2) by Albert C. Johnson

William Miller was born in Pittsfield Massachusetts on February 15^th, 1782 just at the close of the great Revolutionary War in which his father served as a captain. A few years after his birth the family moved to low Hampton NY . He was a son of most worthy ancestors who were noted for their patriotism and piety. His father respected the church , though not a professor of religion. His mother was a devout Christian of the Baptist faith. They knew the hardships of pioneer life and felt the stress of poverty but were courageous, frugal and thrifty. William was the eldest in a family of old-time character, five sons and eleven daughters, and early developed very studious habits, the means he used and the diligence of his efforts to acquire knowledge are of thrilling interests.

A number of gentlemen living in the vicinity of his father's residence, on learning of his most ardent love of reading, kindly offered him the privilege of their libraries, which he accepted with much gratitude. For several years he was the most diligent student of ancient and modern history and stored his mind with a vast collection of historical facts which were afterwards of great service to him in the illustration of the fulfillment of the prophecies. After his marriage to miss Lucy Smith in 1803, he lived for some years in Poultney Vermont, where he made liberal use of the large village library. Before leaving Low Hampton, he had been promoted to the office of Sergeant in the militia and in Poultney, he was called to fill the civil offices of Constable, Sheriff, and Justice of the Peace, in which he sustained an irreproachable character, and gave high satisfaction. His reputation for knowledge and his favor with public men was such that he was invited to give essays and addresses before various societies, and to furnish poetic effusions for public occasions. Some of the men whom he was closely associated where skeptics and deists, under the influence of the writings of Voltaire, Hume, Volnay, Pain, and others, and at length Mr. Miller announced himself a deist, and held this view for 12 years, but not without some misgivings. 

Later, in the absence of the preacher, he would read the sermons which had been selected by the deacons, though he had not yet renounced his Deistical sentiments. He soon came under conviction and began to weigh the thoughts of death and eternity, and to mourn for his sins, but without hope. After continuing in this condition of mind for some months, suddenly, he says, “the character of a savior was vividly impressed upon my mind. It seemed that there might be a being so good and compassionate as to atone for our transgressions and thereby save us from suffering the penalty of sin. I immediately felt how lovely such a being must be, and imagined that I could cast myself into the arms of, and trust the mercy of such a one. But the question arose how can it be proved that such a being does exist?”

Leaders Class facilitated by Roger Brown Mondays 7:30-9

Interpreting 1 Facilitated by Steve Brown Tuesdays 4-5:30

ACTS class for women facilitated by Missie Twitchell Tuesdays 7:30-9

Perspectives facilitated by Kimon Nicolaides Wednesdays 6-7:30

Life Nth facilitated by Chase Mendoza Mondays 6-7:30

First Principles Series 3 facilitated by Greg Twitchell Fridays 10:30 a.m. - 12

Institutions facilitated by Sam Cobb Sundays 6-8 pm