Royal Rangers Leader Feted

ORLANDO, Florida — Doug Clay on Aug. 6 honored a longtime Royal Rangers district director with the General Superintendent’s Medal of Honor, the most prestigious award presented to a layperson in the Assemblies of God.

Jerry Millhouser, 81, retired last year after 35 years as the Royal Rangers director for the Southern Missouri District. Clay called Millhouser a quiet, soft-spoken individual who nonetheless provided powerful leadership by example.

“He thrived at bringing others around him and working as a team to move things forward,” Clay said. “His sterling character and solid integrity were awesome gifts to Royal Rangers in the pliable years of their lives.”

Clay said Millhouser made sure the boys in his charge had ample opportunity to make a salvation response to Christ.

“Jerry had a heart to also encourage the dads and guardians of boys, always pointing them to Jesus,” Clay said. “Every area of Jerry’s ministry involvement was to channel boys and men to a life that would honor God.”

In April, the Southern Missouri District renamed its Royal Rangers facilities “Camp Millhouser” in the former leader’s honor. Millhouser worked for the Willard School District for 31 years, as both a math teacher and junior high principal. Millhouser said 5,000 boys had given their lives to Christ at Royal Rangers district powwows during his years of ministry.

For the past 11 years, Millhouser and his wife of 58 years, Brenda, have attended Central Assembly in Springfield, making a 60-mile round-trip from their home in Marionville to attend Sunday School and the morning worship service. Brenda worked for Assemblies of God World Missions  in Springfield for 29 years before retiring in 2013. The Millhousers have two daughters, Shawna Laffoon and Shannon Lyman.

Relatives joined the Millhousers on the platform, as did their pastor Jim T. Bradford and AG Southern Missouri District Superintendent Don E. Miller.

AG News