Tribute: Peter C. Moore (1937-2020)
By Sue Careless
PETER MOORE has been described as “a man who, more than any other, has promoted the witness of classical Anglican Evangelicalism in the Episcopal Church.” But this formidable American spent a decade in Canada during which time he had a profound effect on the Anglican church as well.
The Rev. Dr. Moore served as rector of Little Trinity Church, a historic Anglican evangelical parish in downtown Toronto from 1985 to 1996. He was also a key figure in the Essentials movement within the Anglican Church of Canada, which was attempting in the 1990s to sustain faithfulness within that denomination. Moore spoke at the formative Essentials ‘94 conference held in Montreal, and his address was published as a chapter in the book Anglican Essentials (1995), which historian George Egerton edited.
Egerton, who worked closely with Moore in the Essentials movement, remembers him well:
“Peter had many gifts: he was deeply learned, a natural leader, a penetrating and clear communicator, compassionate in his relationships, faithful and winsome in his priesthood, and always eloquent and elegant in his person and profession. It was a joy to be with him, and experience his friendship.”
Moore, 83, was the author or editor of five books, Disarming the Secular Gods (1989); One Lord, One Faith: Getting Back to the Basics of your Faith in an Age of Confusion (1994); Can a Bishop be Wrong? Ten Scholars Challenge John Shelby Spong (1998); A Church to Believe In (2nd edition 2000); and an autobiography, From Dry Bones: Reflections on an Unpredictable Life (2013).
In the latter he wrote: “In the unravelling of my life – and at times it truly unravelled – I discovered that people don’t fall from grace. We fall into grace.” During his lifetime he moved from New England to Canada to the Midwest and finally the Deep South yet he discovered “God was there already, long before I was conscious of him.”
Born and raised in suburban New York City, Moore earned degrees from Yale, Oxford, Episcopal Theological Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary.
He served for two years as vicar of an industrial parish outside of Pittsburgh. Then in 1962 Moore founded FOCUS (Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools), which seeks to bring Christ to students attending secular independent schools along America’s East Coast. He left FOCUS in 1985 to serve in Canada but worked with FOCUS again later as its director from 2005 to 2008.
From 1996 to 2005 he served as the dean of Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. In 2008 he moved to Charleston, South Carolina where he became Associate for Discipleship and scholar in residence at St. Michael’s Church, in a diocese that had realigned with the Anglican Church in North America.
Since 2016 he served as director of the Anglican Leadership Institute, training leaders in the world-wide Anglican Communion. The Rev. Alfred Zadig, Rector of St Michael’s, posted on the church website:
“In addition to writing books, pastoring and leading, Peter poured his life into the ancient art of mentoring the generations. Whether students at FOCUS, Trinity School for Ministry, St. Michael’s Church or the bishops and clergy of the Anglican Leadership Institute, he loved coming alongside to make disciples! I therefore marvel at the fact that Peter died on the eve of Pentecost. Why? He simply lived and breathed through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
His obituary in the Charleston Post & Courier described Moore as “a man who served under the Bible and not above it, fighting to keep the church he knew and loved in a place of obedience to Scripture. Peter also had an unrelenting passion to reach the next generation for Jesus Christ.”
Moore, who died from cancer on May 30, is survived by his wife, Sandra; their three adult children: Jennifer Moore, the Rev. Kate Norris (the Rev. Sean Norris), and David Moore (Alexandra Moore); and two grandchildren. Moore’s family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations in his honour may be offered to FOCUS or Trinity School for Ministry. TAP
