The Historic Ebenezer A.M.E. Church

The Reverend Byron C. Moore

Rev. Byron C. Moore is the Pastor of The Historic Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Detroit, Michigan. He was assigned to this pastorate in October 26, 2008 . Rev. Moore is a native of Detroit, Michigan and came to the Ebenezer A.M.E. family with a diverse background that prepared him for pastoring this historic church.

Rev. Moore was previously the pastor of St. James A.M.E, Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.  In those six years,  St.Paul grew spiritually, numerically and financially. The financial stewardship more than tripled; the active ministries and organizations more than quadrupled; and the active church membership more than doubled. Also under Rev. Moore’s leadership, the church was able to complete reconstruction of its church ceiling and choir loft; re-carpet the entire church; and install a fully functional computer lab, air conditioning, security system and new security doors throughout the entire church.

Pastor Moore’s effective leadership and desire for change in the community is evidenced by the organizations and involvement in which he has had active participation. He was the only clergy person appointed to serve on the St. Paul Mayoral Task Force which provided input and community oversight of the billion dollar light transit project. He was one of six African Americans on the Board of Directors for the St. Paul Area Council of Churches; and a member of the St. Paul Black Ministerial Alliance. Rev. Moore also passionately served as a volunteer for the Chosen To Achieve African American Mentorship Program that served to retain African American students’ presence in the school system and reduce the high drop out rate. Rev. Moore took a righteous stand for God’s kingdom when he was the only clergy person who testified in a key court case to remove a liquor store and an adult bookstore from the church community. Rev. Byron C. Moore was also the only African American and one of three clergy persons featured twice in the local Saint Paul, MN newspaper, The Star Tribune’s, Faith & Values Section of the paper speaking to the controversy of the ‘Da Vinci Code, Jesus Christ and the effects these topics have on the Christian community.

Prior to Rev. Moore’s appointment to St. James, he served as the Youth Pastor of the 2,600 member Oak Grove AME Church in Detroit, MI for two years. In that capacity he oversaw the church’s 15 youth ministries that included more than 300 young people; and, with his wife, taught a weekly teen bible study titled the Solid Rock Café.

Rev. Byron C. Moore made a difference in the business world by being an advocate of change and progression, as well as equality. As a contract associate in 1994 with Ford Motor Company, he was elected the president of the Process Management Employee Involvement Committee (PM/EI), the first contract associate to be elected to the position. As the president he initiated 10 improvements in the Ford Motor Company Customer Call Center, the most ever up to that date. While serving in that capacity, his on-going effort to achieve levels of fairness and equality for all associates motivated him to lead the negotiations for contract associates to receive health care benefits, which they have to this day. As a result of Rev. Moore’s efforts both in and out of the church, members of the Oak Grove A.M.E. Church, in September 2002, presented him with the Spirit of Richard Allen Award for outstanding service in the church and community.

His last position before becoming a full-time pastor was in human resources at H&R Block Financial Advisors. He was the first African American to provide sexual harassment training, served as the facilitator for the newly implemented Code of Business Ethics, and was the writer of the company’s Short Term Disability Policy.

Rev. Moore also made an evident difference in the greater Detroit community. He served as a volunteer for the Detroit Public Schools Compaq Program, where he helped to train leaders of tomorrow in the business ethics and practices of today. Rev. Moore also served as an Adjunct Chaplain for the Children’s Hospital of Michigan, completing a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) consisting of a 600 hour practicum. He is a charter member and past chaplain of the Southfield, Michigan Alumni Tau Kappa Kappa Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He also demonstrated a love for the arts, as he was a featured poet in Detroit’s Pitch Black Poetry Series, where he became especially known for socially controversial, politically radical, and theologically insightful poems. In addition, he has recited poetry at the Detroit Urban League and the historic Graystone Jazz Museum in Detroit, Michigan, to name a few.

Rev. Byron Moore is a graduate of Elizabeth City State University in Elizabeth City, North Carolina with a bachelor of science degree in Psychology. He also holds a master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio. His belief in education also led him to be selected as the student recruiter for Ashland Theological Seminary and elected the Vice President of its Alumni Association, a position from which he later withdrew because of his assignment to St. James AME Church.

Rev. Byron C. Moore is married to the Rev. Sharon D. Moore who is also an Itinerant Elder in the AME Church; is his co-partner in the ministry, and whom he considers to be his biggest blessing and very best friend. Together, they are the proud parents of 2 beautiful daughters, Candace Desiree and Chloe` Dominique Moore, and 1 handsome son, Caleb. To God be the glory for the things He has done!