Rev. Terry Moe, 2015 Alum Award for Distinguished Ministry of Parish Pastor

Rev. Moe with wife Michelle 

Rev. Terry Moe was born in Prineville and raised in Eugene, Oregon.  He was baptized at United Lutheran Church there at the age of 11.  He found out that he liked confirmation, and Sunday School, and especially Camp Lutherwood, where he saw modeled the faith he was learning about.  Between wanting to be a pastor or a physician, he appreciated a pastor’s flexibility and opportunity to be with people.  His mystical side counted in there too.

Terry studied German and community service at the University of Oregon, spending a junior year in Tubingen, Germany.  After graduation, he married Michelle Greenfield.  The both of them came to Berkeley in 1972, living in the Hopkins apartments.  Terry interned with Paul Nussell at Grace, Santa Barbara and did San Francisco Night Ministry under Don Stewart, on Polk street, with the gay community.  His other field work was with Grace Lutheran Church in Richmond, with multiracial youth.

Terry’s first call was to Montesano, Washington, forty miles west of Olympia.  This four-year-old mission church was a challenge as he learned the ropes of governance, finance and pastoral ministry.  While there, he and Michelle adopted their first child, a member of the Yakima tribe.

The second call was to Redeemer Lutheran in northeast Portland, to a multiracial neighborhood.  Their second child was adopted there.  Terry and the Holy Spirit helped the congregation to reverse a long decline, only to meet the challenges of crack cocaine and gangs coming in.  In 1988, Terry and the congregation began with community organizing in earnest, creating the Portland Organizing Project with ten other congregations.  They concentrated on shutting drug houses, gang diversion, affordable housing, neighborhood policing, cleaning things up.

In 1995, there arose a campaign for affordable housing and urban renewal along the south river waterfront, known as the Pearl.  Terry and company intervened to get commitments for $150 million for the rest of the city, in the process creating a larger, tri-county Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good.

Redeemer began a seminarian internship program in 1990.  Terry completed a Spiritual Direction program as well.  The congregation’s core practices were an annual retreat for leaders, one-to-one meetings with parishioners and other interesting people, prayer and reflection.

Melissa Reed, PLTS student, was the intern in 2006.  In 2008, after significant analysis, the congregation determined that in its present decline, it should find a way to birth something new in the process.  In 2010, they voted to start what is now known as The Leaven Project, part of which is the worshiping congregation, Salt and Light.  The congregation raised $200,000 to begin the transition, to support two staff people.  The congregation is a shining example of what the emerging church might look like.

After retiring from parish ministry, Terry began to work with the Industrial Areas Foundation Northwest, in Oregon, Washington and Canada, developing transformational leadership, on a half-time basis.