We were first with Donnie and his team early on in Califirnia. He had just met us and did not know anything about our lives. Donnie, one evening during a prayer time at the camp, called my husband to the front and proceeded to tell him that we were having trouble bearing children and God was going to show us why. Within a year, God placed two chosen girls in our home…one was three…the other a new born. Litte did we know that God had these two daughters waiting for us! The word from God through Donnie gave ys hope! They are now young adults with familes of their own. A few months ago Donnie called and one of the first things he asked about were the girls….
He was a true servant of the Spirit and a Champion for God!!
Blessings and comfort to you all
Dave Gable
As the morning teacher at a SW SALT in the early ’90s, I had finished my part, and stayed over to hear Donnie, the climax night speaker. We had gotten acquainted in his early days in campus ministry.
I sat in the back, enjoyed his opening comments, then got lost in my own thoughts. Two of my older sisters had died with cancer at the age I was now entering, and it got to me. I had been giving up on long-term planning, and expected to find “the lump” just about any day. Normally I’m a happy guy, but I had just gone through a Christmas, hanging back at the edge of the party, pretty much saying a private good-bye to everyone, thinking this might be my last.
So now I looked around at this fine SALT conference, thought about a couple thousand students in one like it over the holiday, and gave thanks. I had had a hand in designing the SALT idea, and was filled with appreciation for all I had gotten to see God do. I know well the Pennsylvania potato patch from which God had called me, and I thought how much better life had been than my best dreams for it, so said, “God, if this is it, I will go with a grin! You have been so good to me!”
And then Donnie stopped, in the middle of his thought, and called my name: “Dave Gable! God just told me to tell you there is more before you than behind you!” and went back to his sermon!
I was stunned. I had never been called out in such a way, and now, THIS! No one knew my angst over this issue, and no one could have known how apt was this word, both in meaning, and timing.
All I can say was that the fruit of that word (always the test!) was wonderful. It was like I walked out from under a shadow, into God’s bright light of sun. No more gloom, or preoccupation with death. I dance at every birthday! (badly, but I dance!) And I have done and seen enough since so that if I go tomorrow, the word will have been true.
May God raise up others to hear and declare good words like these!
Katrina Jensen
He was my pastor at radical reality camps in Chico CA.
My story of Donnie all started when I was 13 years old (10 years ago) I was invited by my church New Life in Marysville can to go to camp. I made the best decision I have ever made in my life. Little did I know I would go to that camp and have my life changed forever. Donnie and his team wowed us by rolling the frying pans, breaking bats and even tearing a phone book with his bare hands. He was the greatest pastor anyone has ever had. He impacted and touched my life. Before I even spoke a word to him, him and Joey steelman prayed over me. Donnie had his hand on my head and said “God she is going to be such a great doctor.” It blew my mind because I had never talked to Donnie before. Let alone tell him I wanted to be in the medical field. That was just one small gesture on how he has impacted my life and so many others. He was definitely blessed and lived a life I know very well that God is pleased with. It hurts my heart to know you are gone Donnie but it also gives me joy to know I will one day see you and my grandma and grandpa again.
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To friends and family
My love and condolences to the family. You are loved and still blessed even through the midst of it all. THE LORD IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE RIGHT THERE WITH YOU. when you see one set of foot steps it’s because he picked you up and is carrying you.
Marcie Arndt
Donnie would come to the church my dad pastored in Grass Valley, CA multiple times a year in the 80’s and 90’s, we would also see him at youth camp. I was a very confused and hurting kid because of everything I had witnessed from being a PK, I loved Jesus, but was in so much pain because of people I perceived as attacking my parents, who just wanted to serve Jesus wholeheartedly. Donnie started speaking into my life when I was in middle school and all through highschool…I knew he was different and was quite literally showing me Jesus in every word he said. He had a way of making you feel that you were the most important person in the room at that moment, he didn’t rush on to the next person, he would stop and look into your eyes and just start “reading your mail.” Most of the time, I would just start crying because I could sense the spirit of God healing my wounded heart. The last time I saw Donnie, I was a senior in high school and getting ready to leave with my family to Canada to pastor a new church…he said “little sis you’ve got everything you need, God has called you out, take what you’ve learned and invest it in others.” I think about that last conversation alot, especially when things are tough. I honestly don’t know if I would’ve gone into ministry without Donnie’s amazing ability to just listen and give Godly counsel on forgiveness. This guy will be getting one large hug from me when I see him in heaven!! Love you big bro!!
To friends and family
I know the sacrifices we kids make when our parents are in ministry…your dad was a father and big brother to so many kids over the years, he had an ability to convey love to people that was beyond anything I’ve experienced since. Thank you for sharing your dad with us, we will never be the same!
Love,
Marcie
Lewis Ballin
What a heart breaking moment today as my daughter showed me a post on Facebook that was 16 minutes old. It read how a Hero in the faith, a compassionate and loving friend had just passed away earlier Friday morning. I will forever remember the night I met Donnie Moore. The week prior to my meeting Evangelist Donnie Moore back in November 1984, I had went to visit my mom in Morgan Hill. This visit was to let her know how messed I was and hadn’t been to church in over three years, since my dad had moved our family to Stockton, (mom and dad divorced at this time). I told my mom how I felt like mud, and she said she was going to come up to Stockton and take me to a church of God in East Stockton. However when she arrived in Stockton on November 11th, 1984 she decided she wanted to go some place closer to my sister’s house who lived in North Stockton with easy access to the freeway because she would be going home after church. So we started going through the yellow pages and ran across Lakeview Assembly on Quail Lakes drive. We decided to go here because it was easy access to the freeway and The Pastor at the Baptist church at that time had told me I would be happier over there than at his church based upon the church I attended in San Jose before the move to Stockton. So we went to the 6P.M. church service and there was a female guest speaker not Donnie, but he was there, I just didn’t know yet that he was there. So after she preached a message entitled “Taming The Wild Mustang” she gave the altar call and four times she postponed praying for the people who had already gone forward saying that God was telling her that there was one more person who needed to come forward for prayer, but it wasn’t until she started praying for all those who were already up front at the altar did I decide to go forward. As I was standing up there I challenged God, saying if you are really here like my church back home then you need to have that lady stop praying for those other people and come pray for me. I did this twice and after she still didn’t come to pray for me, I said in my mind, God I knew you weren’t here like in my church back home. No sooner than those words had entered my mind, a man approached me and asked me how I had heard about the special that night and I replied I hadn’t heard of any special, he then asked how I had heard of him. I replied I don’t know who you are either, he then asked a third question which was and I quote “may I ask you why you are here tonight?”, and I said no, it’s kind of personal. At this time he said, that is okay, God is speaking to me right now and I am going to tell you why you are here tonight. He proceeded to tell me the things I had spoken to my mom about a week earlier. He prayed for me that night and baptized me the following Sunday, That man was Donnie Moore. And my life was forever changed. I remember going to Chi Alpha meetings at U.O.P, I remember taking a week off of work one year to volunteer to help set-up and clean-up at school assemblies in San Joaquin county which led up to a night assembly called “The Night of Champions. I just wanted to get close to and get to know this image maker named Donnie Moore. I can honestly say that all I ever felt from Donnie was love and acceptance and that I mattered to God. I remember that Donnie did not ever want the spotlight to be on him but only on God. I can hear his words so clearly even today, “Father God I pray that Donnie Moore would slip away unnoticed but that your word would go forth in power and in truth.” A humble spirit, a man filled with so much of God’s love that it would spill over into the lives of those around him. Donnie you will forever be loved and forever missed. I will not ever forget how God continually used you to bless and impact my life. Although you have gone home you left me enough good friends to finish feeling up my hand and I will be forever grateful for that, good friends and brothers like Jon Pritikin, Darwin Benjamin, Juaquin Fabela, Terry Douglas, Leighton McIntosh II, and Pastor Joey Steelman. Writing this as tears stream down my face. I love you Donnie.
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To friends and family
I remember during one of Donnie’s messages at Lakeview he had told this story about how this young man approached him and asked him how he was able to bench press 500 lbs. and he said he told the young man “Everyday for a lunch I have California Chicken sandwich at Payter’s.”
Donnie was genuine, he was real, he loved God and he loved people. He was the reason I rededicated my life to Jesus on November 11th, 1984. He will be forever loved, he will be forever missed.
Wendy Fung
Relationship:Attendee of a service and camp counselor in the 1990s
Story:
Hi- I was a UOP student in 1991. On Sunday May 12, 1991 I somehow ended up at a service in a theater/church in Lodi , CA where Donnie was speaking. He was sharing a story about his Sunday School teacher and what am impact that man had in his life. After the service, he started to walk the aisles of this large church and he ended up right in front of me (keep in mind, I’m 4″10′, little Asian). He asked me my name and then proceeded to tell me that I have been trying to put God in a box and then added a whole bunch of things that I didn’t understand how he knew. In the end, he asked if I wanted to accept Jesus into my heart and I said no. (My analytical mind wanted to know if someone had tipped him off to my life). Later, I found out he was operating in the word of knowledge. One week later on May 18th, I did accept Christ into my life. Needless to say my life has never been the same and 27 years later I am still loving the Lord. I served as camp counselor those few years that I was in college and I remember having the wildest times with those kids! I have very fond memories of this time in my life! Thank you Donnie for you faithfulness in serving and loving the Lord!
Message:
My prayers and heart goes out to you. Thank you for your faithful love and support for Donnie as your father and husband. I know that “the ministry” was fruitful because of what each of you did and maybe even had to sacrifice. I am someone that came out of your ministry and I love love the Lord because of what started in 1991. Thank you!
Rose Quintana
Donnie helped me so much. I was going through a very depressing time and I could remember Donnie saying “your pain is no more, your a new person” all of a sudden I felt a Giant relief lifted off my shoulders. I stayed on my knees at that alter till 2 in the morning & I will forever rememver that moment. I litterally cry when I see camp videos lots of love.
Message:
I wish you the best and am sorry for your lost. Donnie was a legacy and will always be loved and remembered as a mighty man of God❤