Donnie Moore was a mighty prophetic Man of God. He was also a good friend. Behind the pulpit he brought the word of God without reservation and with conviction. Away from the Pulpit he was one of the best people to know. I know “High on Life” seems like a tired cliche but Donnie was high on life and High on Jesus. He was always fun to be with. He always had a joke or a funny story or just knew how to make you feel good about your self. I will never forget being over at his house on Longview. I was there with Sean Smith, Jeff Foust and others from Chi Alpha. We were all just hanging out having a good time. I looked at him and said “Hey Donnie, I am getting married!” He stopped dead in his tracks, did this slow turn and said “NO?” Then he gave me a big hug and congratulated me. That was the fun side of Donnie Moore. The last time I saw him was at Harvest Church a few years ago. He gave me one of his big trademark hugs and said “I love you Bro.” And he meant it. I will miss Donnie. I will never forget the impact he had on that 17 year old kid he met at Century Assembly back in 1983.
Roy and Kelly Hale
Our Tributes to Donnie Moore:
From Roy Hale Sr.- The year was 1984…I had grown up in church my whole life, and was asked by Beth Borden Lambdin to attend a Chi Alpha meeting at UOP….it was there I met a fiery young preacher named Donnie Moore. I had never in all my years going to church heard someone speak like that! I remember looking around at the teenagers, crying and on fire for the Lord! As I sat there listening to Donnie speak, about halfway through his message he stops, looks and points at me and says, “God has a plan for your life, and if you allow Him to, He will change you and use you to save generations .” Nobody had ever spoke to me like that, and spoke over my life in such a bold and confident way. That was the beginning of a new kind of relationship with the Lord. I went to a Radical Reality Camp and in 1985 Donnie baptized me along with Cliff Borden. I knew how anointed Donnie was and that if I ever wanted to get a hold of my friends I just needed to get them to come and hear Donnie preach. One time I was challenged to invite my football team to a service. I got about 30 guys from my Lincoln High School football team and class to come and hear Donnie preach. I remember being really nervous about what these guys were going to think and what Donnie was going to say…but as he spoke, the anointing hit and I watched every one of them accept the Lord and walk to the alter…Donnie was holding some of the toughest guys I had known in his chest as they wept. As the years went by, I continues to attend camps, and Donnie continued to speak into my life. He birthed a dream in me! I love youth and camps and believe that if we can get kids to a place
where they can encounter God…they will be changed. A few years later I met my wife and as I brought her to Lakeview Assembly church, she walked the aisle responding to one of Donnie’s life changing messages as well making Jesus her Lord and savior. Donnie married us in 1989. Fast forward to years later…our 3 oldest children have attended Donnie’s Camps, Donnie, Cindy and their children always encouraging and loving us. My wife and I are in full time ministry, our sons and daughters are preaching the gospel and loving Jesus too! We have countless friends and acquaintances that have come through Donnie’s teaching and camps and so many ministries that have been birthed because of Donnie’s love, passion and big heart! I can honestly say that I don’t know where I would be if I never had met that fiery young man back in 84, my life, my wife and children and families lives…I truly owe so much to Donnie’s influence. I have had the privilege of running Paintball Camps for over 20 years…during those camps all ages pass through, kids, moms, dads, grandparents….etc. A few years ago, I remember looking out into the crowd and hearing Donnie’s words in my head telling me that one day God would use me to bring generations together…I have had the privilege of seeing his words over me come to pass…and I don’t take it for granted.
Thank you Donnie for speaking truth boldly and courageously. Thank you for loving like God the father. Thank you for calling me out and believing in me. Thank you for running camps so that my children could have the same God encounters I have had. Thank you for joining Kelly and I together and always encouraging and being proud of us. Thank you for speaking LIFE and calling out RJ, Tyler and Ashlyn’s God given gifts over them…Thank you for coming to Paintball Camp and loving on generations…Thank you for not abandoning the call.You were bigger than life and your life on earth is being outlived by the tremendous legacy you have left…so far reaching that only heaven truly knows.
Thank you Cindy, Brooke, Anna and D.J. for sharing your husband and father with us. We are praying for you and our heart aches for you…
Donnie…we will see you again, what a hope we have…we love you ❤
❤ Roy, Kelly, R.J., Tyler, Ashlyn, Madison and Gianna Hale
Beth Lambdin
Pete and Toni Morrison
I will never forget meeting you, Cindy, in our Physics For Everyone Class. We wound up lab partners. I am forever grateful to God for putting us together. I soon found out that you were going to marry Donnie Moore. I guess the look on my face told all. The wildest guy on campus marrying Cindy??? What??? You gently touched my arm and said, “Oh Toni, didn’t you hear? Donnie got saved?” Well, I had not heard. What great news! I remember thinking, if Donnie Moore got saved there is hope for everyone, and what a catch he has with Cindy. A marriage made in heaven for sure. The following fall, Donnie and Cindy started Chi-Alpha Christian Fellowship at UOP with 5 of us. He was so dedicated to the call of God on his life, and wanted all of us to fulfill our God given destinies as well. He was an inspiration to everyone. He met with us diligently everyday to pray. Sometimes it was hard to find a place to pray. I remember for a while we met in the laundry room at Phi Delta Chi, LOL. That first year the Lord grew Chi-Alpha from 5 students to over 300. I remember as Donnie preached, the power of the Holy Spirit would visit us as students were saved, healed, delivered and sent out to minister. What a great leader, and friend. It was an honor to serve with you two all of those years. Love you Bro. You fought the good fight. Pete and I will miss you. See you on the other side.
Jim Tryner
I thank God for Donnie and Chi Alpha ministries. As well as Radical Reality. I was saved as a result of the ministry at Delta college. I would pass by the book table and I went to jail. I surrendered myself to Christ. I enjoyed going to Easter camp , and remember on in particular. This means war theme. I sometimes would do special music by doing sign language. Thanks Donnie for be the conduit for being Gods instrumental in encouraging and leading many to Christ.
Ashley Fonseca
Donnie came and spoke to a group of students in the college ministry st UTSA called Chi Alpha. He talked about Fatherhood and his recognition of how starved our generation is for fathers. He also spoke of how his preaching has caused so many young Christian to seek his embrace after a session as if their hearts at suddenly become open to him as a father figure they desperately lacked. I was one such student, moved to tears by his speaking of the very wounds my heart concealed. I too secretly longed for that embrace, but was lacking the boldness of other students. However, I left that service feeling the embrace his words and heart expressed. Wounds were revealed in me that now suddenly needed attention and healing. It’s been a few years since then and I have come so far in the Lord. I only encountered Donnie once. But it impressed my heart and life in such a way that I have to make it known to you now. That his influence was so powerful and so impacting that there will be fruit from that one encounter for generations. Thank you for sharing him with young growing Christians like me.
Brandon
I went to a chi alpha conference about 2 years ago in Huntsville and i heard him preach and man it changed my life it inspired me to step into my calling for evangelism
Taylor Simmons
The time I was able to spend with Donnie was very brief, but I always felt a desire to reach higher for Jesus after we were through hanging out. He was a man of incredible strength, but his faith exceeded that even more. That’s what I take away most from this wonderful man of God. My mission is reaching and discipling student athletes at Sam Houston State University through Chi Alpha. I first met Donnie in October of 2016, when he was doing a talk with the baseball team here at SHSU and after he was through, I gave him a ride back to his hotel after we made a stop at Jack In The Box, so he could get tacos and tea with a lot of ice. During the drive, he asked if I was reaching student athletes here at SHSU. I told him that I wasn’t and Donnie began to share his heart with me as to why reaching these guys mattered. It really tugged at my heart and I knew that was the Holy Spirit. A year later, that would become my mission. I was so excited to learn that Donnie was going to be the main speaker at South Central SALT in 2017 and I had hoped that an opportunity would come that I’d be able to visit with him and share what I was now doing. My wife and I were about to get on the elevator in the hotel and out come Donnie. I felt kinda speechless at first, but then Donnie remembered my name and gave me a hug and I was quite surprised by that, seeing as how our first visit was brief. Donnie took some time to hangout with me during SALT to talk about his experiences in ministering to athletes and God used him to give me vision and more faith in what Jesus was going to accomplish through the guys I’m ministering to. That would be the last time I would get to hangout with Donnie in person. We had what seemed like two brief spontaneous hangouts that would impact my life in ministry forever. I will never forget those two occasions I’ve spent with Donnie for the rest of my life. On April 19th, I sent a text to Donnie with a picture attached that I’ve placed below to encourage him with what God is doing on our campus among the SHSU football team. This is what the message said and I hope that he got to read it.
“Hey Donnie, I just wanted to say “Thank You” for giving me your time and thoughts over SALT about reaching athletes. Wanted to let you know that this spring semester in this picture above is currently what’s been happening. I’ve met 7 hungry men on the Sam football team and we have a small group that I’m leading and they are always asking questions and really desiring to know Jesus and they have a burden for their teammates. I’m overwhelmed by what Jesus is doing here among these guys at Sam Houston State and I’m grateful for your encouragement and the model you’ve set friend. These guys here would love to meet you one day and Coach Deggs and the baseball team would gladly welcome you again man. Praying for you and hope this encourages you as it has for me. Thank you Donnie. ??”
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To friends and family
To Donnie’s family and friends, I send my deepest sympathies and prayers during this time of loss. I take heart the things he shared with me about being a husband and a father and I’m very grateful for it. Thank you to all of you that ministered to Donnie as he carried out the advancement of God’s kingdom. So many lives were impacted for Jesus through this man and he will be greatly missed. Heaven welcomes an incredible man and Donnie is now in the presence of Jesus.
Dennis Gaylor
Donnie Moore, former Chi Alpha campus minister, University of Pacific, Stockon, California, died Friday,June 1, 2018, at age 60.
HIs ministry began with Chi Alpha, but Donnie’s ministry would become nationwide (DonnieMooreMinistries.org) after Chi Alpha. For 30 years Donnie was an evangelist, preacher, and motivational speaker. He traveled nationwide with his organization, Radical Reality, and presented “feats of strength” and gave powerful messages on hope in assemblies at public schools and youth camps.
Donnie had been a quarterback and a baseball pitcher during his college days. As an athlete/ bodybuilder (weightlifter) he first began in 1987 ministering to professional athletes. He started with the Oakland A’s and eventually spoke in chapels, field houses, team’s dugouts and locker rooms, church services, to every team in the American league, and most in the national league, and the major and minor leagues in baseball. At age 60 on his birthday, he pressed 500 pounds.
I first met Donnie as a campus revival was occurring at the University of the Pacific in the 1980s. After Donnie gave his life to Christ, he said, “I’m sick and tired of the sin that has wrecked so many lives on campus.” He wanted to see college students experience God as he did.
God moved mightily at UOP. Frat guys and Sorority girls received Christ and were baptized in the Holy Spirit. More than 125 students attended and 18 Bible studies were conducted across the campus. His wife Cindy established a Campus Missionary-in-Training program to train campus workers. The impact was eternal as so many students came to Christ and went on to become evangelists, campus missionaries, pastors, national leaders, and Spirit-filled Christians in the marketplace and committed Christian husbands and wives. In Chi Alpha alone, Donnie had a far-reaching impact that continues to this day. It would be impossible to measure the influence that Donnie had on Chi Alpha then and now, even though his ministry moved beyond Chi Alpha.
It was only 6 months ago (January 2018) that Donnie spoke at Chi Alpha’s South Central SALT in Dallas. He had a powerful ministry that week seeing students experience forgiveness and salvation, and others baptized in the Holy Spirit, and many received the call of God on their lives.
Donnie is survived by Cindy, his wife, and three adult children: Brooke, Anna, and DJ. They are a wonderful family. We all will miss this great leader and hero. Remember the Moore family in your prayers.
Dennis and Barbara Gaylor
Former national Chi Alpha director, 1979-2013
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To friends and family
Cindy, Brooke, Anna and DJ, you are loved so much. Your dad was a remarkable man of God, and I am sure a great husband and father. HIs legacy will live on for years to come.
He has touched the lives of so many and advanced the kingdom of God. Chi Alpha is grateful for his far-reaching contribution to so many college students lives. Your dad will be missed.
Henri Moreau
As a young campus minister with Chi Alpha, Donnie played a huge role in mentoring me and so many others. As a lifetime Seattle Mariners fan Donnie knew that my favorite player was Edgar Martinez. At one of our strategic minister meetings Donnie approached me and told me that he had just spent some time with the Mariners and told Edgar that I was a huge fan. On hearing this, Edgar gave Donnie a bat to give personally to me. I know it doesn’t sound like that big of a deal, but Donnie knew me personally, wanted to bless me individually, and went out of his way with one of the biggest baseball stars of his era to ask a favor on my behalf.
This story captures in a small way the care that Donnie had for every person he met. He longed to let others realize how valuable they are to God and to him personally.
My life has been changed by Donnie. I am a better person because of him and I’m deeply saddened by his passing.
However, I do long for the day in heaven when Keith Green finishes a worship set in the presence of our Lord that Donnie Moore is then asked by Jesus himself to speak in front of the vast audience of saints at the Throne and continues to encourage all of heaven for all eternity.
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To friends and family
Thank you for all of the many years you sacrificed time with Donnie so that he could make a difference in our lives.