Karen Mills, wife of WordPartners’ founder Bill Mills, deserves our commendation, affirmation, and appreciation. She was a loyal and faithful wife to Bill as he initiated and founded Personal Ministries in 1970. Their work would later grow and develop into an international equipping ministry to train pastors to preach God’s Word with God’s heart, first known as Leadership Resources and now as WordPartners.
In the early years, she served as wife and mother, loving and raising their two boys. At the same time, Karen worked energetically and faithfully alongside her husband in administration and finance. For 54 years, her service furthered training for local church leaders around the world.
Karen Mills, Co-Founder
On August 31, 2024, Karen is retiring from active employment. As an expression of the deep esteem we have for Karen, she will remain vitally connected to WordPartners with the new title of Co-Founder Emeritus. The Board of Directors is committed to her ongoing care and support as Co-Founder Emeritus.
Karen has loved this ministry, its people, its mission, and has given her life to its service. Faithfulness, hard work, steadfastness, purity, and love clearly mark her life. She serves with a quiet tenderness, yet isn’t afraid to “say it like it is,” showing her strong commitment to what is dear to her heart.
Karen, we thank you profoundly. Your life is a beautiful testimony to God’s grace. Your love and support for Bill and the many WordPartners’ staff surely helped establish the ministry. Your role enabled the great international reach of our current training ministry to thousands of pastors around the globe. As you are a key member of our organization, we commit to your ongoing well-being. Thank you for your life of joy and faithfulness to the Lord. He is greatly honored!
WordPartners remains committed to the ministry of equipping pastors that Karen so tirelessly furthered through her years of service. We are so grateful that Karen will still be a cherished part of the WordPartners family she loves so dearly. As she is able, Karen will be a most welcome presence in our staff prayer meetings and special events. We will continue to benefit from her wise counsel, encouraging spirit, and intercession.
We look forward to honoring Karen in the weeks ahead as we gather around her to celebrate what the Lord has done through her steadfast service. As she makes this transition, we invite you to join us in giving thanks to God for the gift that Karen Mills has been to all of us.
