Arthur James Moore (December 26, 1888 – June 30, 1974) was an American

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MECS), the Methodist Church, and the

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, elected in 1930.

Birth and family

Arthur was born December 26, 1888, in

Waycross, Georgia Waycross is the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Ware County in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 14,725 at the 2010 Census and dropped to 13,942 in the 2020 census. Waycross includes two historic districts (Downtown ...

, the son of John Spencer and Emma Victoria ( née Cason) Moore. Arthur was of

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ancestry. His great grandfather came to

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and his grandfather moved to

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. Arthur's grandfather later died in the

Battle of Gaines' Mill The Battle of Gaines' Mill, sometimes known as the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles (Peninsula Campaign) of the American Civil War. Following the inconc ...

in 1862. Arthur married Martha "Mattie" T. McDonald April 26, 1906. They had children William Harry, Wilbur Wardlaw, Alice Evelyn Means, Arthur James Jr., and Dorothy Emma. Mattie died in 1964.

Education and conversion to Christ

Arthur Sr studied at Emory College in

Oxford, Georgia Oxford is a city in Newton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,134. It is the location of Oxford College of Emory University. Much of the city is part of the National Parks-designated Oxford Histori ...

, from 1909 until 1911. He did not complete an earned degree. Instead, he was converted to Christ in his twenty-first year and began to preach at once! He subsequently was awarded several

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, including the degree of D.D. from Asbury College,

Wilmore, Kentucky Wilmore is a home rule-class city in Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,686 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the United States Census Burea ...

(1922), Central College,

Fayette, Missouri Fayette is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Missouri, United States. It is part of the Columbia, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 2,803 at the 2020 census. History Fayette was laid out in 1823. The ...

(1924), and

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

(1934); and the degree of

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from

Southwestern University Southwestern University (Southwestern or SU) is a private liberal arts college in Georgetown, Texas. Formed in 1873 from a revival of collegiate charters granted in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest college or university in Texas. Southwestern o ...

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(1935), Randolph-Macon College (1939),

Florida Southern College Florida Southern College (Florida Southern, Southern or FSC) is a private college in Lakeland, Florida. In 2019, the student population at FSC consisted of 3,073 students along with 130 full-time faculty members. The college offers 50 undergradu ...

(1942), and

Mercer University Mercer University is a private research university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the state and enrolls more than 9,000 s ...

(1968).

Ordained ministry

Arthur experienced a "drastic"

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Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

in his twenty-first year and began to preach at once. He joined the South Georgia Annual Conference in 1909. He served various churches as pastor during 1909-20. He also served as a

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evangelist, and was a most eloquent

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. In 1920, the Rev. Moore was appointed to the Travis Park Methodist Church in

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, serving there until 1926. He then was appointed pastor of First Methodist Church,

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Honors

The Rev. Moore was honored by Asbury College with the degree '' Doctor of Divinity'' in 1922. Central College did the same in 1924, as did Emory University ( D.D., 1934). Asbury College also awarded the

in 1930.

did the same in 1935, Randolph-Macon College in 1939, and

in 1941. He also received an honorary degree from

Wesleyan College Wesleyan College is a private, liberal arts women's college in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1836, Wesleyan was the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women. History The school was chartered on December 23, 1836, as the Ge ...

. The Rev. Moore was a member of

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...

. He was a 32° Mason and a Knights Templar.

Episcopal ministry

The Rev. Dr. Arthur James Moore was

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and consecrated to the

episcopacy A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South at the 1930 General Conference of that denomination. Bishop Moore was assigned responsibility for all

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activities of the MECS in China, Japan,

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Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

and

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, until 1940. In 1940 he was assigned the

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

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of the (newly reunited) Methodist Church. His

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was 63 Auburn Ave., N.E., Atlanta. Bishop Moore also served as

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in Macon, Georgia, in 1941, and as chairman of the board. He was a member of the Committee on Interdenominational Relations and Church Union of the MECS (1934–39), and President of the Board of Missions and Church Extension of The Methodist Church. He was also the organizer and first president of the Board of Evangelism of The Methodist Church. Bishop Moore died June 30, 1974.

Selected writings

*Address: ''The Holy Spirit'', Atlanta, Sixth Ecumenical Conference, 1931. *''Bishop to All Peoples'', 1973. *''Central Certainties'' (a collection of sermons), 1942. *''Christ After Chaos'', 1944. *''Christ and Our Country'', 1945. *''The Sound of Trumpets'' (a collection of

sermons A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. E ...

), 1934.

References

Arthur J. Moore Papers
MSS 241, Archives and Manuscripts Dept., Pitts Theology Library, Emory University. * Gramling, Roger M., A Ministry of Hope: Portrait of Arthur J. Moore. Nashville: Upper Room, 1979. * Howell, Clinton T., ''Prominent Personalities in American Methodism''. Birmingham, Alabama: The Lowry Press, 1945. * Leete, Frederick DeLand, ''Methodist Bishops''. Nashville: The Methodist Publishing House, 1948.

External links

Arthur J. Moore Papers, 1931-1974
at Pitts Theology Library,

Candler School of Theology Candler School of Theology is one of seven graduate schools at Emory University, located in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. A university-based school of theology, Candler educates ministers, scholars of religion and other leaders. It is also o ...

New Encyclopedia of Georgia: Arthur J. Moore

Arthur J. Moore Methodist Museum and Library
Epworth-by-the-Sea.
Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library
Emory University
Arthur J. Moore papers, 1931-1974
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Arthur James American Methodist Episcopal, South bishops Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South 1888 births 1974 deaths Emory University alumni Methodist evangelists Methodist writers American sermon writers American evangelists United Methodist bishops of the Southeastern Jurisdiction 20th-century Methodist bishops