Embracing Community

PREACHER’S CORNER Embracing COMMUNITY

by Bishop Samuel Moore

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mong the most treasured commendations afforded me was notification that my image would be imprinted on a local building in recognition of my contributions to our community. The fact that it was unsolicited and that the project was birthed out of appreciation for those that have served the community is humbling.

The painting adorns a building along one of the historic thoroughfares in the city. The facility houses Unlimited Futures Inc. It was conceived as a small business incubator for prospective minority entrepreneurs in the Fairfield West community of Huntington. I was one of four original incorporators driven by the objective to provide proper

training that would eventually transform our people from culture of job seeking, to one of career building. We wanted our people to think in terms of becoming lenders rather than borrowers. a

I came to Huntington in 1983 to pastor what was then Full Gospel Mission. On the evening of my placement as pastor of the seventeen-member congregation, I became the youngest member of the church at the age of twenty-seven. At that point our immediate household consisted of my wife and one-year-old son. Renna and I had made a mutual agreement that when we started our family, she would step away from her outside job and be a stay-at-home mom until the children entered school. We were aware that this would mean an income reduction, but our comfort was in an assurance of the quality of care, nurturing, and protection that our progeny was receiving during their formative years. Our sole income was generated from my profession as a teacher and basketball coach in the local school system. Without stable finances through the church, we made the three-hour commute each weekend. After almost three years, with the solid encouragement of my wife, we eventually moved to our new town.

There are no large cities in the entire state of West Virginia. When I arrived, Huntington was the largest city in the state at about 64,000. The African American population was approximately 2,600. While canvassing just two blocks away from the church, I found that some residents didn’t even recognize the name of the church. It was my objective to heighten the image of the church, and it was clear to me that we would have to draw from a more inclusive cultural base.

Particular to the African American population, most of our churches are identified by the name of the pastor. With intentions of heightening the recognition of the church using name association, I intentionally became heavily engaged in the community. As a result, from among the relatively few African Americans that were engaged in “power” community, I was soon sought out for membership on various boards, commissions, and committees. Over time, I’ve served as president of the Black Pastors’ Association, Huntington Human Relations Commission, and the NAACP. Also, I served as a board member of a local hospital. I’m currently president of the City Police Civil Service Commissioner, member of the Marshall University Board of Governors, and member of the Mildred Mitchell Bateman Hospital Board of Governors.

Prior to retirement from the public school system, I served on the County Strategic Planning Committee, President of my school Faculty Senate, Title IX Coordinator, and in 2001 I received national recognition as a Milken Foundation Teacher Award Winner.

But it’s been my greatest pleasure to serve as pastor of Full Gospel Assembly for nearly 39 years, and to be recognized as an inspiration to the citizens of the Greater Huntington community.