Bruce Miles

With a family legacy of pastoral ministry, Bruce Miles accepted Christ as his Savior at the tender age of five.  His father, John, was a Dallas Seminary graduate who settled in Michigan.  John Miles' vision for developing a training center for pastors became reality with the Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music, where he taught for two years before becoming the President.  During his 40 years of teaching and presiding over the Bible school, he also served as the interim pastor of several churches.  The Miles children were exposed early to ministry and church life and all four began to consider God's call to ministry.  In 10th grade, Bruce dedicated his life to the Lord, declaring, "I'll do whatever you want, Lord, as long as it's not as a pastor."  He attended GRSBM for three years before transferring to Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee, being open to God's will as long as it was not in pastoral ministry.  He considered camp work, counseling, or becoming a youth pastor.  At college, he became involved in a music group that went out on weekends and sang at churches, high schools, and other venues, representing the college.  The group needed someone to be the "preacher" for the team.  Even though he did not want the job, Bruce got elected to the position.  God burdened Bruce about pastoral ministry and he surrendered to His will.  With his GRSBM credits, Bruce graduated after a year and a half from Bryan College.  After graduation he returned to Grand Rapids and enrolled in the two-year seminary program.  It was there that he met Donna Hoffman, who was also attending GRSBM.  They were married in December, 1974.  Upon graduation from seminary in 1976, the young couple candidated at a church in Stanton, Michigan.  However, the church congregation felt they were too young.  In the fall of 1976, they candidated again at the Nevins Lake church and were called to ministry, with their first Sunday on October 1.  The Nevins Lake area was a farming community and many of the attenders of the church were elderly folks.  Bruce, having grown up in the city, had no knowledge of farming.  Humanly speaking, given their differing backgrounds, the church and pastor did not seem like a good fit, but it was a good place for Bruce to learn in ministry and Bruce and Donna loved the people.  Although they had a good and productive ministry, after eight and a half years the Miles began to feel God's call to move to another location.

In 1984, Bruce was called by Ron Thompson to candidate at his church in Kaysville, Utah.  Ron had planted the church several years earlier and wanted someone to take over the pastorship, enabling him to plant another church elsewhere.  After talking with the people of the church and with Ron, Bruce felt the Kaysville church was not where God was calling him.  On the way back to Michigan from Utah, the Miles family stopped "by chance" in Frisco, staying at the Snowshoe Motel.  As he looked across the street at the partially-completed church building, Bruce noticed on the church's sign that the congregation was pastored by Bob Brandow, an acquaintance from Michigan.  Seeing Bob's name on the sign was a surprise and Bruce attempted to call the Brandows.  They were out of town, but when Bruce got back to Michigan he learned that Bob had accepted the position of director of the Rocky Mountain Bible Church Mission and was pastoring RMBC in the interim until a permanent pastor could be found.  Bruce told Bob of his desire to move out west and become involved in a church-building (rather than church-planting) ministry.  In January, 1985, Bruce candidated at RMBC and the Church members (all eleven of them) called the Miles to minister in Frisco, with sons David, 9, Bryan, 7, and Eric, 4 (daughter Mandy was born in 1987).  Bruce and Donna spent six weeks in deputation before their arrival.  Their first Sunday was April 14, 1985.  By the end of the summer, there were about 100 people attending RMBC.  Within two years, Bruce was able to write to his supporters to let them know the Church had taken on their full support.  The Church graduated from RMBCM after five years, with the pastor and Church fully self-supporting.  In 2010, Bruce and Donna celebrated their 25th year of ministry at RMBC.