Rev. Gladys Moore
Pastor
Pastor Moore has been a teacher, preacher, speaker, facilitator and community leader for
more than 41 years. As an Assistant to the Bishop of the New Jersey Synod, ELCA, from
1992-2007, she served as a pastor to pastors and consultant to 50+ congregations
throughout northern and western New Jersey.
From 2007-2013, Gladys was the Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life and the Director of
Diversity and Inclusion at Mount Holyoke College. She returned to New Jersey in 2013
and served as senior pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church until her retirement in 2021.
While there, she helped to develop curricula and train facilitators for the Summit Interfaith
Council Anti-Racism Committee’s program: “Dialogue Circles on Race.” To date, more
than 1100 residents of Summit and neighboring communities have participated in the
dialogues.
Prior to, and during her ministry on synod staff, Gladys served three urban congregations:
Bethany, Jersey City ; St. John, Newark; and St. Matthew, Jersey City. Pastor Moore
served as Co-Chair of Lutherans Concerned (now Reconciling in Christ), an organization
advocating for full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ families within the church, and is currently
serving as Vice President of the relatively new Family Promise Affiliate of Union County,
NJ. Prior to attending seminary, Gladys was an elementary school teacher in the William
Penn School District, Yeadon, PA.
EDUCATION/AWARDS
Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, West Chester State University, 1971-
1975
Master of Science in Elementary Education, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 1977-
1980
Master of Divinity, The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, PA, 1980-1984
Doctor of Divinity, United Lutheran Seminary, (Honorary degree awarded, May 2021)