Dorothy Deer
Member, Hinsdale SDA Church
Pastor Larry Milliken, senior pastor of the Hinsdale Seventh-day Adventist Church from 1979 to 1988, passed to rest on Friday, January 3, in Calhoun, Georgia. He was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather, as well as a pastor with a tremendous heart for people and a lifelong commitment to God's service.
Larry began his ministry in Medicine Hat, Alberta in 1961, and then pastored in Windsor, Hamilton, and Willowdale, Ontario, before coming to Hinsdale. As a result of a strong emphasis on visitation and evangelism, church membership reached a peak of 1,324 in 1984.
Larry lived to share God’s love and regularly visited church members in their homes. With his gentle manner, he ministered to their needs, making each one feel special. Carole Bliss remembers that at times she would join Larry on these visits:
“It was clear that he cared about his members, to set time aside to minister to their needs, making each one feel special. He always prayed with them and shared God’s Word.”
Ben McCash was married to his wife for two years when his encounters with Pastor Larry began:
“I had been a faithful attending member of the Christian church as a young person but had not been attending for several years. At the end of his visit, Pastor Milliken asked if I would like to have Bible studies. I didn’t really want to, but could not see how to graciously say no, so I reluctantly agreed. For the next five years, nearly every week, Pastor Larry visited our home, and we went through the Bible. I became convinced of the Bible truth, but did not want to give up my time to the church. Finally, he said to me, ‘You’re an Adventist already, why don’t you just get baptized?’ I agreed and was baptized on Christmas Eve of 1985.”
Richard Prodans recalls a time he was visiting Hinsdale church and Pastor Larry asked him what day it was. “Other than the Sabbath, I had no idea,” said Prodans. Astonishingly Pastor Larry remembered something else. “He said it was my baptismal anniversary. I’m not sure how he remembered this, but it exemplified his passionate care for others.”
During his time at Hinsdale, Larry and the church choir were featured on a couple of special television programs for WGN Channel 9. Senior church members gained more fellowship opportunities with the formation of the Golden Agers Club in 1982. To help people with mobility issues, in 1985 a restroom was added in the foyer and an elevator seat was installed in the southeast stairway. The church house next door was purchased during this time as well.
Larry’s wife, Joyce, was always a partner in his ministry endeavors. At Hinsdale, she worked part-time as an office secretary. Together they organized four international tours that included some overnight stays at Adventist colleges, tours of important Adventist institutions, and usually worshipped with local churches on Sabbaths. They also led a tour to Advent Village in Battle Creek, Michigan.
In 1988, Larry became the church ministries/youth director of the Minnesota Conference and concluded his pastoral ministry in the North Platte district in Nebraska in 2008. Then they moved back to Willowdale where he served as a volunteer pastor for six more years.
In 2014, the Millikens moved to Calhoun to be near their daughter and family. Larry continued to give Bible studies (sometimes via Zoom), lead prayer meetings, and volunteer as a chaplain at AdventHealth Gordon hospital
One of the highlights of Larry’s ministry, both before and after retirement, was doing short-term evangelistic trips. Along with Joyce, they organized 16 trips to India alone, always taking several other teams with them. In all, 66 separate evangelistic series were held that resulted in thousands of baptisms and the construction of 72 new church buildings. They also went to Bulgaria, Romania, Nepal, and the Philippines.
After battling Parkinson's disease as well as kidney and liver issues for several years, Larry was diagnosed with cancer in late November. His courage remained strong, but his body was rapidly declining. He was hospitalized with pneumonia on December 29 and died peacefully with his beloved wife Joyce and his three daughters with him. He was 86.
A Celebration of Life service will be held and live streamed at the Calhoun Seventh-day Adventist Church in Georgia on February 22 at 3:00 pm CT, and available later on the church website. In lieu of flowers, consider making a donation to the Motorcycles for India fund (via the Calhoun SDA Church, 1411 Rome Rd SW, Calhoun, GA 30701) that provides much-needed basic transportation for pastors in India.
Please send any news items of what God is doing around the Illinois Conference to communication@ilcsda.org.