Pastor Andre Miller wants what's best for Mesa

Sep. 10—As pastor at New Beginnings Christian Church, Andre Miller is dedicated to strengthening community ties. Now he has widened his scope: running for Mesa mayor.

"Running for mayor is something I'm excited about," he said. "I want to show that an average person can be at the table, not just someone who's affluent or connected. When decisions are being made, those voices are not being heard. I wanted to make sure that everybody has the same opportunity in the city of Mesa."

He has made his mark on the country already. A U.S. Army veteran, Miller is a Detroit native who attended Rio Salado Community College, Grand Canyon University and Lancaster Bible College.

He was the first African American police chaplain for the Apache Junction Police Department, a member of the East Valley NAACP's Legal Redress Committee and recipient of the 2019 East Valley NAACP Dr. Martin Luther King Award for religious leadership.

He founded New Beginnings Christian Church in 2010 with minimal funds but total faith in God. There, Miller and his staff address any disparity in the community that can affect anyone, despite race, religion or sexual orientation.

"It's my hope and my goal to make Mesa better," he said. "I love the people here and my church is a multigenerational, multicultural church. I love that. It looks like heaven, and I appreciate that.

In addition to pastoring the successful 200-person and growing congregation, he leads the predominantly white congregation of St. Peter Lutheran Church.

Miller is adamant about giving back to the community, supporting charities like Maggie's Place, Feed My Starving Children, the East Valley Men's Shelter, A New Leaf and Save the Family.

Miller has been active within the city of Mesa, using his platform to address criminality and prison reform. He vowed to work with Mesa police officials to increase law enforcement presence in the city's most vulnerable neighborhoods.

"We're all community," he said. "It's not just us versus them. Community policing is so imperative in the area we live in. People have tried to label me 'anti-police,' and I'm definitely not that. My son just started the Mesa Police Academy. I'm so glad he decided to do that. I've done quite a bit the last 17 years I've been here, with the goal of making sure Mesa was better than when I found it.

"It's my hope that I can help usher in civility, and respectful conversations as we tackle the issues that affect us all. I expect our church to be a beacon of hope, and myself to be a servant of all. I love Mesa," he said.