Kriti Mehrotra
While it’s true that ‘I Can Only Imagine’ (2018) is a biographical drama delving deep into the life of Christian Rock musician and MercyMe frontman Bart Marshall Millard, it’s not entirely accurate. That’s because although its title is eponymous with the band’s debut single — penned by the lead following his father’s 1991 demise — it’s first and foremost an entertainment original production. It thus comes as no surprise several individuals from this creative artist’s circle weren’t even mentioned in the film, primarily amongst whom was actually none other than his sole sibling, Stephen.
Does Bart Millard Have Siblings?
It was reportedly back in August 1968 that Adele Millard and Arthur Wesley Millard Jr. welcomed their first child into this world in the form of Stephen Millard, only to be followed by Bart in December 1972. In other words, these Greenville, Texas, natives were a proud family of four, that is, until their parents separated for good in 1976 owing to their father’s extensive mental as well as verbal abuse. Reports actually suggest he never once lifted his hands on his wife, yet her leaving did propel his short temper to turn shorter, and their sons subsequently became his literal punching bags.
Nevertheless, Stephen and Brad purportedly managed to have a relatively normal, loving relationship as kids, complete with wedgies, wrestling matches, plus countless other forms of shenanigans. The latter admittedly worshiped his big brother since he not only supported him every step of the way but also provided him with a sense of comfort or belonging in the most challenging times. Yet alas, things began to change following the mid-1980s as the Greenville High School graduate left home to attend college before ultimately settling down in Dallas to build a family of his own.
Now that Bart thinks of it, he believes Stephen probably carries a lot of guilt knowing their father’s abuse got a lot worse toward his little brother once he left to make his own way in the world. Though it took them a long time to even reach this point of acknowledgment considering the latter once accused the musician of grossly exaggerating things in the poignant film for ticket sales. Some of his exact phrases over a phone call were: “Dad was never that bad,” “I think I had a different childhood than you,” as well as “Dad would spank us, but I don’t remember that (abuse) at all.”
Yet today, having gradually managed to rebuild their connection on the basis of open, judgment-free communication, Bart is proud to assert Stephen was, is, and always will be his hero. He once stated, “The reason he’s my hero is he’s the kind of guy who would be struggling with the fact that he wasn’t there to protect me, and that’s at the root of it all. It was up to me to say, ‘Hey man, there’s nothing you could’ve done.'” In other words, it appears as if there’s nothing or no one that can ever come between these two siblings, and they’re determined to let it remain this way.
Where is Stephen Millard Now?
Coming to Stephen’s individual standing, from what we can tell, he continues to reside in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan area to this day, where he’s surrounded by his wife, three beautiful kids, their partners, as well as a different support system in the form of friends. His brother is now based in Nashville, Tennessee, alongside his own brood of 5 children with childhood sweetheart Shannon Street, yet it seems like they’re still making genuine efforts to remain in close touch despite the years to have gone by. They’re hence doing their best to move on from the past and settle into more.
As for Stephen’s professional status, this Dallas College Robotics & Automated Manufacturing Systems associate degree holder, Texas A&M University’s Commerce graduate, and Northwood University’s Business, Management, plus Operations specialist was a corporate executive. He’s apparently an expert in the fields of global manufacturing, equipment engineering, safety, semiconductor fabrication, and energy asset management, amongst many more, and he even served as the Senior Equipment Engineer at Texas Instruments until September 2023. It’s actually possible he’s presently planning for his retirement to focus more on family.
Read More: What Happened to Bart Millard’s Dad? How Did He Die?
