Mr. Rodolphus "Bill" Hughes Miles' Obituary
Rodolphus Hughes Miles, Jr. (Bill), passed away at the age of 90 on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 in Gallatin, TN, following an extended illness. He was the only child of R. H. Miles, Sr. (Hugh) and Bessie Copeland Miles, and was born in Hueytown, Alabama, near Birmingham, on September 6, 1929. He graduated from Birmingham Southern College, and from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, with a Masters in Divinity. He married the former Mary Dell Morgan as he served his student pastorate at First Methodist Church in Gadsden, AL. In the North Alabama Conference, he served Pleasant Grove Methodist, Crumly Chapel Methodist, Cahaba Heights Methodist, and Holmes Street United Methodist Churches. In 1969, he took as his appointment an organization that was his brainchild, Greater Birmingham Ministries. In that work he met and worked with community activists, and was a trailblazer in work to alleviate racial discrimination and economic oppression. He obtained his Doctorate of Ministry from Candler during the early 1970's, and in 1974, he founded Urban Ministry. From the 1950’s through 1970’s, he enjoyed being very active in youth ministries of the North Alabama Conference and Camp Sumatanga, and many young people became closer to God because of his work. In 1985 he moved to Nashville, TN, began a chaplaincy position, and served several churches in the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church (Elkton, Pleasant Hill, Tulip Street, Mt. Zion, and Martin’s Chapel. In 1990, he married the former Hazel Cannon, a marriage which was a blessing to both of them in their later years and lasted for 25 years. He is survived by two children, Mike and Lynn, and his two stepchildren, David and Darlene, 5 step-grandchildren, Brian, Dana, Stephen, Nathan, and Holly, and 10 step-great-grandchildren. There will be a private graveside service.
Arrangements entrusted to Spring Hill Funeral Home & Cemetery, 5110 Gallatin Road, Nashville, TN 37216.
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