Special Honors for a Nazarene Chaplain

After an illustrious military career spanning over 30 years, Chaplain Lowell Moore retired from the United States Army on September 30, 2005 in ceremonies at Fort Carson, Colorado. Chaplain Moore retired as a full Colonel, and the highest ranking Active Duty Chaplain in the Church of the Nazarene at the time of his retirement. A week prior to his retirement, Chaplain Dwight Jennings, Director of Chaplaincy Services, conducted the following interview with CH (COL) Lowell P. Moore.

CHAPLAIN DWIGHT JENNINGS:
Chaplain Moore, what led you to enter active duty as a chaplain?

CHAPLAIN LOWELL MOORE:
It really goes back to when I was in college and not right with the Lord. I had left home; my folks knew I was leaving, but I was really running away from home. I joined the Marine Corps and during that time I came to grips with life- realized all the teaching that I'dreceived as a kid had value, and I accepted the Lord as my Savior. After I felt my call to full-time Christian service I guess it was that contact with the Marine Corps and what happened then that led me to military chaplaincy.

Jennings: Was there a particular chaplain or pastor that was responsible for your recommitment to Jesus while you were in the Marine Corps?

Moore: Yes, Paul Erschel was pastoring Ocean Side, and after I decided I’d better start getting back in church, he was there, and led me to the Lord. Then later on I married his daughter. Also,
while I was in Vietnam, Nazarene Chaplain Lowell Malliett was very influential in utilizing me to lead services and travel around with him. The call to chaplaincy came gradually.

Jennings: Can you describe the different assignments you had over the 30 years, and just a brief description of what was involved in each of those?

Moore: After Fort Leonard Wood I went to Germany and was a 39th Signal battalion chaplain. There I rode to some 60 Signal flights scattered all over Belgium, Holland, England, and the
northern half of Germany. I was on the road all the time going into these small sites and visiting with people, trying to ascertain the morale at that site and be available for counseling. Then I came to Fort Carson where I was a Brigade Chaplain. That’s where I did a lot of field time and supervised three other chaplains. Then they selected me to be the post pastor at Fort Carson. Next I went to Alaska and for the last year and one-half of the four year tours I served as a resource manager. From Alaska I went to Fort Bragg as a Lieutenant Colonel and got another Brigade and deployed to Desert Storm.

Then after Desert Storm and Fort Bragg I went to Fort Lewis where I became the Deputy First Corp Chaplain and post pastor. At Fort Lewis I was selected for promotion to Colonel and sent to Japan.

After Japan, I went to Fort Eustis as the Installation Chaplain. There I had 16 chaplains and a wonderful chapel program. At this level, I began to find out that it was my job to encourage and
empower my Junior Chaplains. I always tried to stay very spiritual, always praying, always talking to them about their relationship with God. I wanted to give them permission to be spiritual.

From Fort Eustis I went to the Army Corp of Engineers where I provided ministry to 36,000 civilians. I traveled all the time moving from one job site to another. I finished my career as the
installation chaplain at Fort Carson, Colorado.

Jennings: How would you define yourself as a Chaplain?

Moore: I think my strengths are in my personal relationships, ability to care about people, and my pastoral sensitivity. I tried to never be a Colonel;

Jennings: You anticipated one of my next questions and that is what impact did the family play in making your decision to serve in the military?

Moore: Their agreement was crucial. Betty and I talked about it and she was with me 100 percent. The girls were pretty young at the time so they got drug around. Betty clearly was with me all the way. She supported me the whole distance. She was able to be mother and father on several occasions. When I went to Desert Storm, she was left behind to keep the home fires burning.

In my job in Germany I was gone all the time. We had two young kids and she was mother and father. Then she would step out of her dual role and into her single role. She was always wonderfully supportive. She never complained or cried about me not being home.

Jennings: Have you noticed any changes in the church’s awareness of Chaplaincy during your 30 years of service?

Moore: Oh there is a tremendous difference! When I first became a Chaplain, I sometimes felt ignored by my church. Today I am completely included and appreciated. My role and my place is seen as viable and real. People back me, support me, and pray for me. My church has welcomed me back with open arms.

Jennings: After 33 years of outstanding service to the Lord and our Nation is there anything you would like to say in conclusion?

Moore: The Lord has been good. I am more Nazarene now than when I went in. I believe in our church, I believe in the doctrine, I believe in our approach to the Gospel. It has really enlightened me, and so I am a stronger Nazarene now than ever before. If I have one thing to say to my church it is, "Thank you for all the work you have done pastoring, planting, sowing seed and watering. I've been blessed in many cases to reap the harvest that you have sowed. I want to thank all the pastors in the Church of the Nazarene for all they have done. Most of them do not know how much they are really doing. Then I would also say I believe in prayer. Please pray for our soldiers, especially those soldiers that are deployed."