Emily and Brett Mills are just as comfortable leading a worship service for thousands on a Sunday morning as they are doing ministry in a strip club on a Saturday night. That is because they live their lives by the words “Jesus Said Love.” For the couple, this phrase reminds them of the importance of showing just as much care for the marginalized and forgotten as for those in the church pews every week. Through their ministry, Lovely Village —formerly known as Jesus Said Love — Emily and Brett are committed to caring for women in the commercial sex industry the way Jesus would, giving them the tools and resources they need to create safer, better lives for themselves and their families.
Lovely Village’s story began more than two decades ago with outreaches in local strip clubs to women at the highest risk for being sex trafficked. The Jesus Said Love team would bring in gift bags for the workers filled with high-quality products and treats. By 2007, those sporadic outreaches had become monthly visits, and the ministry had a name. By 2014, the team was reaching around 800 women every month.
The Mills’ ministry is built on listening to the needs of women in the industry. While the gift bags got Emily and her team in the door and were a point of connection between them and the dancers, they were not a long-term solution. Emily and Brett have taken the time to build relationships and friendships with these women, which has given them a deep understanding of what they need to thrive. From that ministry of listening, the couple learned many of the dancers wanted a way out of the work they found themselves in, but didn’t see any other realistic options.
The women also expressed a need for safe and reliable housing. Brett and Emily began searching for solutions, and in 2023 were gifted a small apartment complex. That donation provided the resources to expand the ministry and rebrand into the enterprise Lovely Village has become. The development will offer two years of rent-free housing and support to women escaping trafficking, sexual exploitation, and trauma.
What began as a point-of-need interaction evolved into a holistic approach, including safe housing, trauma-informed care, living-wage employment through justice enterprise, and a deeply rooted community of belonging.
Emily and Brett have poured their hearts and souls into Waco, becoming a staple of the community. Together, they have three children and have been married for over 25 years. The Mills have since expanded their ministry and now work with women in Dallas, Bryan/College Station, San Antonio, Temple/Killeen, Houston, and Tyler. In the work they do, Emily and Brett remain committed to empowering the women they work with, focusing on loving them and building relationships, and trusting God to do the rest.
Read more: Alumni Stories — Jesus Said Love
Read about the complete 2026 class of Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony honorees in a special edition of Baylor Line Magazine.
