Minister's Passion for Helping Needy Is Recalled

The Rev. Milton L. Moore drew from a particular passage in the Gospel of Luke to lead his Warriors for Christ Ministries:

"The spirit of the Lord is upon me because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives. . . ."

Last night, those who knew Moore, worked with him and benefited from his ministry gathered at Bowie New Life Assembly to remember the minister, husband and father of four.

Moore, 50, was fatally shot outside his Suitland ministry Wednesday. Witnesses say they heard arguing just before shots were fired about 7 a.m., and some law enforcement officials have speculated that Moore was targeted. But Prince George's County police Cpl. Debbie Carlson said the case is still under investigation.

"We are talking to witnesses and encouraging community members to come forward with any information they may have," Carlson said.

About 200 people attended the memorial service last night. At one point, about 50 former and current residents of the ministries' shelter stood and recited in unison the passage from Luke.

Pastor Joshua O. Nathan, who officiated at the service, told those gathered of all that Moore had done to provide for those in need.

For the past 15 years, Moore operated what he called the City-Wide Refuge Center in the ministries' three-story building in Suitland. There, Moore preached and provided shelter to hundreds referred to him because they were in need of emergency housing.

"In life, he loved, and in death, he leaves big shoes to fill," Nathan said.

Bobby L. Moore Jr., one of Moore's four brothers, briefly addressed the violent circumstance surrounding his brother's death. "There's no malice here," he said, asking those in attendance to pray for two families: his brother's and the family of the unknown shooter.

Before the service, Warriors for Christ member Lisa Jeffries said Moore "had a passion" for helping those in need of shelter, adding that Maryland is among the 10 states with the worst shortages of affordable housing. Moore, she said, was a welcome partner to area social service agencies.

His ministry began in 1990 as a lunchtime Bible study with Navy Department co-workers in Crystal City. In 1992, he began holding Sunday morning services in the basement of a home in Lanham. By February 1998, Moore had moved his ministry to its current location.

"We are not funded by the county or the state government, but we work closely with the social service agencies because there are number of reasons that might cause a person to be homeless," Jeffries said.

Sandra Price, chairman of the board, said, "Warriors for Christ Ministries will go on." What God passed on to Moore, she said, he passed on to others.

Later in the service, dozens of preachers ordained Moore's wife, Eva Moore, as a pastor of the ministries. "My husband committed his life to service, and he died serving God," Eva Moore said. She, too, pledged that the ministries' mission will continue.