Social Justice Sunday

Guest Preacher Rev. Billy Moore to preach on Social Justice Sunday, November 14, 2010

Next Sunday, November 14, we are pleased to welcome guest preacher, Rev. William ‘Billy’ Moore, the first guilty man to be released from America’s death row.

Rev. William Neal Moore was on Georgia's death row for 16 years and was twenty hours away from the electric chair on August 21, 1990, when the parole board commuted his sentence to life. Moore was sentenced to die without ever going on trial, a fact cited by the State Board of Pardons and Paroles at the time as a major factor in commuting Moore's sentence. Relatives of the victim, Mother Teresa, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson had pleaded for Moore, saying his life was salvageable and that he was contrite for killing a homeowner during a break-in. A year later, he was paroled.

Today, Moore is a preacher. He has spoken at Harvard and Yale on the tribulations of the death penalty. "I tell them no one is beyond redemption, even people on death row," Moore said. "The death penalty is the state carrying out revenge, nothing more, nothing less." Mr. Moore now lives in Rome, Georgia with his wife, Pastor Donna Moore. After being ordained as a minister, he formed Jesus Christ Prison Ministry. He now speaks in churches, universities, youth detention centers, and prisons.

In addition to welcoming Rev. Moore during Morning Worship, we plan to offer a lunch catered by Keith Hand - $7 per person. Reservations for the lunch are required.

After lunch, we hope to have a panel discussion and a question-and-answer session - more details will be announced soon. Reservations for these sessions are not required.

Read more about Rev. Moore here.