REVEREND WILLIAM B. MOORE, PASTOR
TENTH MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH
Reared in North Carolina, Reverend Moore graduated from J. T. Barber High School, New Bern, N. C. He received a B.A. from Fayetteville State University in 1965, a Master of Divinity from Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1985. He did graduate work for an M.A. at North Carolina Central University, Durham, N. C. In 1998, Rev. Moore received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.
Rev. Moore is a pastor, teacher, evangelist, organizer and civic leader who has pastored the Tenth Memorial Baptist Church in North Philadelphia since 1974.
He was born in New Bern, N. C. He is the son of the late Earl W., Sr. and Mamie H. Moore. He is married to the former Pauline Mills. They are the proud parents of two children; Tamieka Nicole, a graduate of Eastern University and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University and Justin Bernard, a graduate of Virginia Union University, Richmond, Virginia. Both are ordained ministers.
As a pastor, using his skills as a former school principal, he has organized a balanced and responsive church program. Most recently, he led the church to build a 4.4 million dollars, 60 unit senior citizens complex. In addition to the senior complex, the church sponsored a 1.4 million dollars 10 town-house development for first-time homeowners and with the Beech Interplex built 151 more homes as a part of the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative.
Moore is a leading voice in the community for change. He has served as president of Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity. Currently, he serves as chairman of the Board of A.A.I.M., the service delivery arm of the Black Clergy. Moore has been responsible for bringing more than 3.5 million dollars to the five program areas of evangelism, economic development, housing, education, and job development.
He is co-chair of the Black/Jewish Coalition, an organization that builds bridges between Blacks and Jews; chairman of the Pastors’ Conference City Wide Revival since 1978; president, One Church/One Child for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a statewide board of ministers that have been responsible for placing more than 2000 children in permanent homes, past chair of the City’s Fair Housing Commission, and co-chair of the 1992 Greater Philadelphia Billy Graham Crusade. Moore has served on the staff of former Congressman William H. Gray, 3rd and Area Development Director of the United Negro College Fund, Philadelphia office.
Rev. Moore is founding member and board vice chair, United Bank of Philadelphia, a minority-owned and managed the bank in downtown Philadelphia. Moore co-chaired the North Philadelphia Empowerment Zone created by an Act of Congress designed to rebuild inner-city neighborhoods and create jobs.
He was instrumental in developing the Safe Corridor program to ensure the safety of neighborhood children attending the Vaux Middle School in north Philadelphia. Former President William Clinton mentioned the program at the signing of the Brady Bill Ceremony.
As a denominational leader, Moore was appointed by President William J. Shaw to serve as chairman of the Foreign Mission Board of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. He served as chair of the Management Team that provided oversight for the day to day operations of the Board until an Executive Secretary was recently appointed. In that role, Moore provided leadership to the Convention’s overseas AIDS Initiative on the Continent of Africa.
He is the recipient of many awards, a few of which are as follows: Meritorious Achievement Award presented by the National Alumni Association, Inc., Fayetteville State University; First Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award presented by the Boy Scouts of America; selected as one of The Philadelphia Tribune’s 10 Most Influential African Americans from 1994 to 2004, one of The Philadelphia Tribune’s Most Influential African Americans, 2005-2008, one of Philadelphia Magazine’s Powerful 100 for the years 1999 and 2000, Special Edition Issues,
2009-2014, one of The Philadelphia Tribune’s “Philadelphia’s Movers and Shakers.” He has received numerous citations and awards from the City Council of Philadelphia and the House of Representatives and Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
His previous pastorates include the First Baptist Church (1965-1969), New Bern, N. C. and the Cornerstone Baptist Church (1969-1974), Greenville, N.C.
Rev. Moore retired as Deputy Executive Director of the Parking Authority for the City of Philadelphia.