Otis Moss III
Encyclopedia
Otis Moss III is an African American pastor
of Chicago
's Trinity United Church of Christ
who espouses black liberation theology
and emphasizes reaching inner city
black youth. He is married and has two children.
working together in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
and serving in 1971 as co-pastor with his father Martin Luther King, Sr.
at Ebenezer Baptist Church.
After growing up in the affluent Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, Ohio, graduating from Shaker Heights High School, Moss attended Morehouse College
as an undergraduate, initially majoring in political science and film with the intent of becoming a filmmaker. He was a runner and named by the NCAA
as an All-American Track and Field athlete. After hearing his call to the ministry during track practice, he changed majors to religion and philosophy and graduated with honors in 1992.
He then attended Yale University
, receiving in 1995 a Master of Divinity
degree with a concentration in ethics and theology. During his time at Yale he became enamored of the Black liberation theology of James Hal Cone
. He was also ordained as a Baptist
minister by his father in 1995.
After this, Moss moved to Denver to study for a Ph. D. in religion and social change from a joint program of the University of Denver
and the Iliff School of Theology
, a Methodist seminary. While in Denver, he became the Minister of Youth Programs at the New Hope Baptist Church. A sermon tape from a youth rally was given to the retiring pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church
in Augusta, Georgia, leading to his call there.
to take up the pastorate at Tabernacle Baptist Church, originally founded in 1885 as Beulah Baptist Church. During the Civil Rights Movement
the church served as a local base for that movement.
At the time Moss took over the church, it had 125 members, growing to 2,100 members by the time he left it in 2006, reportedly mostly through the inclusion of formerly unchurched young people. During his tenure, the church also undertook a major renovation of their historic building.
In 2000, he published a sermon collection entitled Redemption in a Red Light District - Messages of Hope, Healing and Empowerment, consisting of sermons from his first year of ministry. He also periodically swapped pulpits with the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Augusta, where the Southern Baptist Convention
was originally organized in support of slavery.
In 2002, he was the first recipient of a prize, carrying a $25,000 stipend, for exemplary community service, evangelism and preaching. He had been nominated by the historian of the Chautauqua Institution
in New York who considered him one of the best to have preached there. The prize is jointly awarded by three Presbyterian organizations; the Columbia Theological Seminary
, the Presbyterian College
, and the Peachtree Presbyterian Church
of Atlanta, Georgia
.
During this period, Moss was a member of the Progressive National Baptist Convention
as well as state and local Baptist organizations. Politically, he was a member of the NAACP and the Georgia branch of the Rainbow/Push Coalition founded by Jesse Jackson
. He also served on the boards of the local United Way chapter and Augusta's black history museum, which is named after Lucy Craft Laney
.
church pastored by Reverend Jeremiah Wright
, to become Wright's successor at the roughly 8,500-member megachurch
. Moss says that after prayer
and fasting
, he felt God's call was for him to go to Chicago, and did so in 2006, initially as Wright's assistant.
Early in 2007, Moss was one of four additional contributors to the book The Gospel Remix: Reaching the Hip Hop Generation by Professor Ralph C. Watkins of the Fuller Theological Seminary
. That summer, Moss was one of several black ministers who gave eulogies
at a mock funeral the NAACP put on for the word "nigger
", where he described it as "the greatest child that racism ever birthed".
Wright gave his last sermons as pastor on February 10, 2008. After some guest sermons, Moss took the pulpit on March 9. Senator Barack Obama
and family were members of Trinity United, and on March 13, during his 2008 presidential campaign
a controversy
broke out over racially and politically charged sermons by retiring pastor Wright. While Obama's candidacy had brought attention to the church, this brought even more attention to it.
Time magazine
claimed that Wright was holding on to power and preventing Moss from fully taking over as pastor, citing unnamed sources within the church. The following week, Moss and Wright told the congregation that the accurate title for him is indeed "senior pastor elect" because has not yet met UCC
requirements for being installed pastor of a UCC church, and is expected to meet those requirements in the fall of 2008. A UCC spokesperson had told Time that "it was hard to imagine that Moss wouldn't successfully complete the ordination process." In May 2009 Moss was installed as the senior pastor of Trinity.
Moss has also recently become a board member of The Christian Century
.
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's Trinity United Church of Christ
Trinity United Church of Christ
Trinity United Church of Christ is a predominantly black church with more than 8,500 members, located on the southwest side of Chicago. It is the largest church affiliated with the United Church of Christ, a predominantly white Christian denomination with roots in Congregationalism, which branched...
who espouses black liberation theology
Black liberation theology
Black liberation theology, sometimes shortened to black theology, is a relatively new theological perspective found in some Christian churches in the United States. It maintains that African Americans must be liberated from multiple forms of bondage — political, social, economic, and religious...
and emphasizes reaching inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
black youth. He is married and has two children.
Youth and Education
His father, Otis Moss Jr. was an affiliate of Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
working together in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is an African-American civil rights organization. SCLC was closely associated with its first president, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...
and serving in 1971 as co-pastor with his father Martin Luther King, Sr.
Martin Luther King, Sr.
Martin Luther King, Sr., born Michael King was a Baptist missionary, an advocate for equal justice and an early civil rights leader. He was also the father of Martin Luther King, Jr.King, Sr...
at Ebenezer Baptist Church.
After growing up in the affluent Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, Ohio, graduating from Shaker Heights High School, Moss attended Morehouse College
Morehouse College
Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
as an undergraduate, initially majoring in political science and film with the intent of becoming a filmmaker. He was a runner and named by the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
as an All-American Track and Field athlete. After hearing his call to the ministry during track practice, he changed majors to religion and philosophy and graduated with honors in 1992.
He then attended Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, receiving in 1995 a Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
degree with a concentration in ethics and theology. During his time at Yale he became enamored of the Black liberation theology of James Hal Cone
James Hal Cone
James Hal Cone is an advocate of Black liberation theology, a theology grounded in the experience of African Americans, and related to other Christian liberation theologies. In 1969, his book Black Theology and Black Power provided a new way to articulate the distinctiveness of theology in the...
. He was also ordained as a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister by his father in 1995.
After this, Moss moved to Denver to study for a Ph. D. in religion and social change from a joint program of the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
and the Iliff School of Theology
Iliff School of Theology
Iliff School of Theology is a graduate theological school adjoining the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado.An average of 300-350 students attend the school each year in the following degree programs:* Master of Divinity...
, a Methodist seminary. While in Denver, he became the Minister of Youth Programs at the New Hope Baptist Church. A sermon tape from a youth rally was given to the retiring pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church
Tabernacle Baptist Church
Tabernacle Baptist Church is a historic church building at 1801 Evans Avenue in Fort Worth, Texas....
in Augusta, Georgia, leading to his call there.
Tabernacle Baptist years
In 1997, Moss moved to Augusta, GeorgiaAugusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
to take up the pastorate at Tabernacle Baptist Church, originally founded in 1885 as Beulah Baptist Church. During the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
the church served as a local base for that movement.
At the time Moss took over the church, it had 125 members, growing to 2,100 members by the time he left it in 2006, reportedly mostly through the inclusion of formerly unchurched young people. During his tenure, the church also undertook a major renovation of their historic building.
In 2000, he published a sermon collection entitled Redemption in a Red Light District - Messages of Hope, Healing and Empowerment, consisting of sermons from his first year of ministry. He also periodically swapped pulpits with the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Augusta, where the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
was originally organized in support of slavery.
In 2002, he was the first recipient of a prize, carrying a $25,000 stipend, for exemplary community service, evangelism and preaching. He had been nominated by the historian of the Chautauqua Institution
Chautauqua Institution
The Chautauqua Institution is a non-profit adult education center and summer resort located on 750 acres in Chautauqua, New York, 17 miles northwest of Jamestown in the western part of New York State...
in New York who considered him one of the best to have preached there. The prize is jointly awarded by three Presbyterian organizations; the Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary is one of the ten theological institutions affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . It is located in Decatur, Georgia. Dr. Stephen A. Hayner is the seminary's president.-Description:...
, the Presbyterian College
Presbyterian College
Presbyterian College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, South Carolina, USA. Presbyterian College, or PC, is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA. PC was founded in 1880 by William Plumer Jacobs, a prominent Presbyterian minister who also founded the nearby Thornwell Home and...
, and the Peachtree Presbyterian Church
Peachtree Presbyterian Church
Peachtree Presbyterian Church is a megachurch in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The largest congregation of the Presbyterian Church , its membership in 2010 was approximately 9,000.Peachtree began as a Sunday school for children in Atlanta founded in 1910...
of Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
During this period, Moss was a member of the Progressive National Baptist Convention
Progressive National Baptist Convention
The Progressive National Baptist Convention, Incorporated is a convention of African-American Baptists emphasizing civil rights and social justice....
as well as state and local Baptist organizations. Politically, he was a member of the NAACP and the Georgia branch of the Rainbow/Push Coalition founded by Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
. He also served on the boards of the local United Way chapter and Augusta's black history museum, which is named after Lucy Craft Laney
Lucy Craft Laney
Lucy Craft Laney was born in Macon, Georgia, US. Her father was a former slave who managed to save enough money to free both himself and his wife...
.
Trinity United Church of Christ
Moss received two job offers. One was to come to the Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio to succeed his father as pastor, the other to move to Chicago's Trinity United Church, a United Church of ChristUnited Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
church pastored by Reverend Jeremiah Wright
Jeremiah Wright
Jeremiah Alvesta Wright, Jr. is Pastor Emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ , a megachurch in Chicago exceeding 6,000 members...
, to become Wright's successor at the roughly 8,500-member megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
. Moss says that after prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
and fasting
Fasting
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
, he felt God's call was for him to go to Chicago, and did so in 2006, initially as Wright's assistant.
Early in 2007, Moss was one of four additional contributors to the book The Gospel Remix: Reaching the Hip Hop Generation by Professor Ralph C. Watkins of the Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary is an accredited Christian educational institute with its main campus in Pasadena, California and several satellite campuses in the western United States...
. That summer, Moss was one of several black ministers who gave eulogies
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
at a mock funeral the NAACP put on for the word "nigger
Nigger
Nigger is a noun in the English language, most notable for its usage in a pejorative context to refer to black people , and also as an informal slang term, among other contexts. It is a common ethnic slur...
", where he described it as "the greatest child that racism ever birthed".
Wright gave his last sermons as pastor on February 10, 2008. After some guest sermons, Moss took the pulpit on March 9. Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and family were members of Trinity United, and on March 13, during his 2008 presidential campaign
Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. On August 27, 2008, he was declared nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election...
a controversy
Jeremiah Wright controversy
The Jeremiah Wright controversy is an American political issue that gained national attention in March 2008 when ABC News, after reviewing dozens of U.S. 2008 Presidential Election candidate Barack Obama's pastor Jeremiah Wright's sermons, excerpted parts which were subject to intense media scrutiny...
broke out over racially and politically charged sermons by retiring pastor Wright. While Obama's candidacy had brought attention to the church, this brought even more attention to it.
Time magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
claimed that Wright was holding on to power and preventing Moss from fully taking over as pastor, citing unnamed sources within the church. The following week, Moss and Wright told the congregation that the accurate title for him is indeed "senior pastor elect" because has not yet met UCC
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
requirements for being installed pastor of a UCC church, and is expected to meet those requirements in the fall of 2008. A UCC spokesperson had told Time that "it was hard to imagine that Moss wouldn't successfully complete the ordination process." In May 2009 Moss was installed as the senior pastor of Trinity.
Moss has also recently become a board member of The Christian Century
The Christian Century
The Christian Century is a Christian magazine based in Chicago, Illinois. Considered the flagship magazine of U.S. mainline Protestantism, the biweekly reports on religious news; comments on theological, moral, and cultural issues; and reviews books, movies, and music...
.