Written by David’s daughter Shoshana Adams. Also compiled and written with assistance by Kathryn Michael, his children Rachel Tucker, Judah and Joel Michael.
My father (written by Shoshana Adams), David Joel Michael (Mills), spent his life in service of the Lord through biblical research, intercession, worship, teaching, and individual ministry. From his earliest memories, his faith in God permeated his entire worldview – and he resolutely shared what the Holy Spirit had given him, helping to propel an awakening in the western church about prayer for Israel.
His scholarship changed the landscape of biblical research, developing resources for laypersons to better understand the Word of God (his primary advice: …slow …down). He modeled willingness to have his heart broken by the things that break God‘s heart; at the same time, the Lord was his joy and his strength. David especially delighted in the miraculous: the gifts of the Spirit, revivals, and ministries such as Katherine Kuhlman’s.
He did not concern himself with the treasures of this world – he was storing up treasure in heaven.
He steadily invested and sowed into the kingdom of God and, though his impact on brothers and sisters in Christ is readily apparent, the full extent of that harvest may not yet be known.
David was born to a wonderful man of God, evangelist and prophet Dick Mills, and the loving and godly Joyce (Highfill) Mills, in Hollywood, California. His parents had met in Life Bible College at Angelus Temple, founded by Aimee Semple McPherson. They were delighted to welcome their first (and only) child on April 25, 1951. Joyce adored her precocious and sensitive son. Her own parents, Floyd and Elsie Highfill, raised David for extended periods of time in his early childhood, as the rigors of ministry were taxing on Dick and Joyce; David treasured warm memories of this time with his grandparents. He also spent happy stretches with his Aunt Geneva Brayton and her family.
Tragically, Joyce Mills died of cancer when David was just five years old. Despite this formative loss, which he would carry with him, David remembered consoling himself that he still had his father. During this time, David grew especially close to his paternal grandmother, Pauline Michael Mills, a hymnwriter and minister in her own right. In 1957, his father married the godly and devoted Betty (Hoskins) Mills, who raised David from then on.
When David was nearly nine years old, the family welcomed his beloved sister, Deborah (Mills) Booth. 
During this time, the Mills family was constantly on the road, typically pulling a trailer behind their station wagon to six evangelical church services per week. Those years were lean, but David agreed with his father‘s heart for overlooked churches – little Foursquare congregations, reservation churches, chapels on country roads, in provinces across the US and Canada. On the road, his schooling was through correspondence courses, led by Betty. From these years of church travel, David retained an immense mental catalog of hymns and worship music, as well as uncanny knowledge of geography and navigation. Long before Google Maps, David liked to quickly sketch personalized, color-coded maps from memory for would-be travelers.
Along with Dick Mills’ prophetic ministry, the young family ministered together in music. From his father, David was introduced to several instruments, especially guitar. From his first mother, David inherited skills in violin and accordion. But from his Grandma Pauline, he inherited a talent for piano, his favorite instrument by far. In fact, he began playing at three years old and never learned to read music, playing by ear for the rest of his life. He was a dynamic singer and piano-player, deeply influenced by the gospel music from the many African-American churches of his childhood, and he served as a worship leader in different seasons of his adult life.
His parents decided to settle the family in one place, his maternal grandparents’ hometown of Hemet, California, so David (in high school) and little Deborah (in kindergarten) could attend school in person, while Dick traveled for ministry. In addition to his already noteworthy strengths in history and English (but not math, to which he had a nearly allergic reaction), it was at this point that David’s linguistic skills came to light – he took courses in Spanish, French, and Hebrew. He also patiently bore consistent hazing from peers for his unabashed Christian witness – but several of those peers sought him out later in life to share that they’d given their hearts to the Lord, the news of which he received with immense joy.
After graduating high school in 1969, David went to Oral Roberts University for two years. He then moved to the Bay Area, where the Jesus Movement was in full swing. By this point, God had given him a heart for the Jewish people, and for Israel. One day at his church, he caught a glimpse of a dark-haired young lady and he immediately knew he would marry her. After a brief courtship, he and Kathy Krohn were engaged; they married six months later. 
David asked the Lord to bless him with children: when he was 24, Shoshana was born. At 25, they had Rachel. At 27, they had Judah. And at 39, they had their youngest, Joel. 
In the meantime, David had returned to college, now at Azusa Pacific University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Greek and Hebrew biblical research. He was passionate about fidelity to the Word of God as the Holy Spirit had breathed it, especially as this clarity could liberate believers from confusion or false doctrine. He worked with his father on Bible commentary (such as Word Wealths in the Spirit Filled Life Bible), devotional articles, and prophetic ministry.
David went out of his way to minister to individuals in need – those who were downtrodden, seeking spiritual illumination, or wrestling with biblical questions. Whether meeting in person, speaking over the phone, or taking video calls from the other side of the world, David spent his life ministering to believers and seekers. Leaders relied on him for his insight into difficult theological questions. Through his prayer ministry, he saw numerous supernatural answers and healings. He also responded to the Lord‘s call to take his message to the nations, most significantly Israel and Armenia.
David had grown up camping, backpacking, hiking, and fishing, especially during annual family trips to Yosemite with his cousins in the Payne and Cunningham families. He took particular joy in challenging hikes – across ravines, over boulders – to reach remote mountain streams where he would fish for rainbow trout or (even better) cutthroat trout. He was most at home in the mountains, and his favorite vistas were of the sharp peaks of the Sierra Nevadas.
He was a talented and prolific writer, a fan of wordplay and outlandish humor, and he had encyclopedic knowledge of specific interests, including seismology, linguistics, genealogy, and history. At different points, he taught at Christian schools, in prisons, and on reservations. But his daily, lifelong scholarship focused on the Bible (in his teen years, he had memorized everything Jesus said – “everything in red”); he continued to the very end to study scriptures for edification and exhortation. 
His greatest treasures were his children and their spouses (James & Shoshana Adams, Micah & Rachel Tucker, Judah Michael, and Joel Michael) and beautiful grandchildren (Elijah, Eden, Aliyah, Levi, Trinity, Azariah, Lukah, and Halo), all of whom he continuously prayed for and delighted in celebrating.
David was one of a kind… a coffee-guzzling, piano-pounding powerhouse, enthusiastic and empathetic. He was brilliant and generous, complex and imperfect, easily wounded by words and intent on speaking blessing over others. Fixed in his reasoning, he would still respond to the Holy Spirit and humbly submit to the Lord. His greatest desire was to be like his namesake, a man after God‘s own heart, and to contribute to God‘s kingdom. More than anyone else in Scripture, he reminded me of Simeon, in the temple day after day, decade after decade, eagerly anticipating the moment when he would hold and behold God’s arrival.
In early 2022, David became ill but did not seek needed medical treatment and nearly died; he subsequently spent three months in the hospital. He miraculously survived and seemed to recover, supported by dear and lifelong friends, but ongoing complications continued to weaken him. 
His health worsened significantly in late 2025, after which he was bedridden. Over these years and especially during the final nine months of his life, he maintained a cheerful outlook, believing for a miracle, and relying heavily on the Lord to give him strength. Though he was physically diminished, his mind and spirit continued to burn bright.
He died in the early morning on August 19, 2026.
This difficult season is now over for David; he is finally, mercifully free from pain and the hardships of life; forever in the presence of the one true God, his hope, his salvation, and his great reward.
Lovingly,
The Mills, Michael, and Booth family
To Give Towards the Family, you can donate HERE and choose Special Projects, it will be given to David’s Children towards Expenses at this time.
Family photos
