Pastor J. E. Moore

CRADLE  DAYS. When her new born only son was placed in her arms, my mother asked the Lord to accept him in the cause of Christ, because she herself had broken her vow to the Lord to serve Him in India. This information was only given to me on her death bed, and after I had entered the ministry. God accepted her offering and she lived to see the outcome of it.

PRAYING PARENTS. My parents and grandparents who lived with us were born again believers, and prayed much for the three of us, my two sisters, Nora and Kathleen and me. My personal ambition lay in the realms of sport, with Yorkshire County Club at Headingley, Leeds.

When I had invitations for trials to turn professional, my father refused to sign the necessary forms. On leaving school I went into the Motive Power costing offices of the then Midland Railway, in whose employment I remained until becoming a Pastor of Bridge Street Church.

PERSUADED TO PREACH. Quite early in Bridge Streets history, I was Crusader (Young Peoples) Leader, and we had weekly attendances of upwards two hundred and fifty. It was easy to have different speakers every Thursday night for a whole year! One Crusader Sunday night, Pastor Miles asked me to preach. My text was above the organ – “Behold the Lamb of God.” Eight responded to the appeal. Strangely, I felt humbled that God deigned to use a weak vessel, and a poor sermon. But He did it “that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of man”

FAINTING WITH FRIGHT. One Saturday night at 8.00pm, two elders of the church came to our house and pleaded with me to “help” them out and take the Sunday services. I dare not refuse because the previous Sunday I had said to the Lord during a Scripture reading – “Lord, I don’t feel I am gifted in any way but I am willing to be a HELP.

1 Cor.12.28  - the very word used! I had no sermons in store, so I stayed up all night waiting on the Lord, and wondering what I would say to the congregation who had been fed on the richest spiritual food. And when I saw the Elders, Swain, Trustwell, Emmott, and Mr Cooper right under my nose on the front row, I nearly fainted with fright!

However, we had the Lord‘s blessing throughout the day and the souls responding at night ran into double figures.

LED INTO LEADERSHIP. Eventually the elders asked me if I would pastor the church whilst Pastor Miles recovered from a severe nervous breakdown. Medical opinion was that he would be unfit for a long time. I said I would do pastoral duties, but wanted time to seek God’s Will before committing myself. In the meantime I felt God wanted me as Pastor and so turned down a tempting promotion on the Railway because to accept it would take me away from the church. Elim kindly offered me ordination provided I submitted a satisfactory thesis and my registration as a minister took effect from 1941.

GIVING GOD THE GLORY. I have never been to Bible College – but the Holy Spirit has been my Teacher, and has led me into all truth, He has been the inspiration behind the 3750 sermons etc. I have prepared over the years. Many people have come to the Lord, and many have been built up in the Faith, and I thank God for using me to this end.

Page created 1 April 2006