Women Achievers: Doris McMillon
“I used to think that success meant getting the big contract with a television station, becoming famous and making plenty of money. I’ve had all of that over the years and found that it doesn’t satisfy our inner longings for significance…. My hunger for those things has faded over the years, and I have discovered that my relationship with God is what endures and gives me hope and strength for whatever challenge I face.”
This horror story is exactly what happened to veteran broadcast professional Doris McMillon, best known for her 27 years of work at NBC News, WABC-TV in New York, Fox Television, WJLA-TV in Washington DC and around the world on the US Information Agency’s WORLDNET.
Devastation!
This horror story is exactly what happened to veteran broadcast professional Doris McMillon, best known for her 27 years of work at NBC News, WABC-TV in New York, Fox Television, WJLA-TV in Washington DC and around the world on the US Information Agency’s WORLDNET. While in the midst of negotiations for one of the top anchor positions at WABC-TV several years ago, the company suddenly decided to let her go instead. When she heard the news, Doris needed only one word to describe how she felt: devastated. With no real job prospects in sight despite her formidable credentials, Doris feared she might b e down for the count. So she cried out to God for help.
“I just said, well, God, this is it. I can’t get a job, I don’t know what to do or where to go. I need to know something. I need to know more about you and what you want from me.”
God began to answer Doris’s plea in a way she never would have expected. One night after landing a freelance job with the Black Entertainment Network (BET), she was interviewing a minister on a live call-in show. During commercial breaks, she began to question him about Christianity. The minister told Doris what he could and then directed her to a weekly prayer breakfast held in Washington DC where she was living at the time. The breakfast targeted business professionals and he thought Doris would fit right in.
Finding Help
Doris took the minister’s advice and attended the breakfast. When it was her turn to introduce herself, Doris felt embarrassed, because her identity had always been tied up with being on TV. Now she was just another face in the crowd. But she stood up nonetheless.
“I said my name is Doris McMillon, and I need to know more about God, and I need someone to help me.”
Immediately, Doris heard a young woman, named Yvonne, speak quietly from the back of the room.
“I’ll help you,” Yvonne said.
True to her word, Yvonne started coming over to Doris’s house and explaining Christianity to her. Doris was amazed by what she was learning; especially the fact that she could have a personal relationship with Jesus, God’s Son, and that God had a plan for her life. This revelation helped Doris see the paucity of her previous spiritual commitment. Like many other people, Doris only called on God when she was in a tight spot. But the more she learned about Christianity, the more Doris realized being a Christian meant having an ongoing relationship with God seven days a week, 24-hours a day. She didn’t have to wait until she was in trouble to talk to him. He was always ready to listen and always ready to help.
“This was revolutionary,” Doris says, “and I wanted it all!”
Satisfying Change
After becoming a Christian, Doris found that her goals and motives began to change.
“I used to think that success meant getting the big contract with a television station, becoming famous and making plenty of money. I’ve had all of that over the years and found that it doesn’t satisfy our inner longings for significance…. My hunger for those things has faded over the years, and I have discovered that my relationship with God is what endures and gives me hope and strength for whatever challenge I face.”
Today, Doris travels all over the country telling others what God has done in her life. To Doris, this is more exciting than anything else she’s done.
“Hey, I got it going on, but not because of me, because of Christ who lives in me. And I just love to tell people that they can have the same thing.”