By Julie Campbell

When she was a little girl, Dr. Lisa Fauntleroy Moore would lie on the floor of Scott Memorial Church of God (Chattanooga, Tennessee) and watch every cantata and musical practice, often directed by her mother, Becky Fauntleroy. At the time, her father, the late Gene Fauntleroy, was the pastor of the church (now known as Ridgeline Church of God), and her uncle was the music minister.

“I usually knew all the words—sung and spoken—by heart, and could prompt the people in the production,” Moore recalls.

Growing up in the church, music was a constant source of joy for Moore, and it still is. These days, she uses her love of music in her position as professor of music in voice, opera, and musical theater at Indiana Wesleyan University, where she teaches private voice lessons and voice-related courses, and directs the stage productions. She also serves as the president of the National Opera Association.

Moore credits her deep roots in the Church of God movement—going all the way back to her great-grandfather, who was a horse-riding evangelist—with nurturing her love of God, music, and people.

“The ministers in my family taught me to love people—to care for the flock,” she explains. “They were dedicated to their calling—even around the dinner table, the talk was affirming of the church and the people of their congregation—as well as those outside the church.”

After graduating from Anderson University, Moore followed in her parent’s footsteps and went on to become an ordained minister of the Church of God in 1998, serving on staff at several Church of God congregations before heading into full-time service in higher education in 2002.

Perhaps this is why she views her calling not only as an educator and a musician, but also as a minister.

“It is my goal that, through their time with me, students will be infected by and catch the desire to live a life of continued spiritual formation,” Moore explained, “submitting their gifts as a witness for God and a healing balm for society.”

Last spring, Moore directed the IWU opera, Dido and Aeneas, and she quickly realized the opportunity as a moment of ministry, not only to the cast, but to others involved, as well.

“This masterpiece has taught us much as artists and as people,” she wrote in her director’s notes in the program. “Throughout the process of this production, the people involved have had their own challenges. We have had raw emotions at times due to a lack of resources, grief, disappointment, illness, uncertainty, and war. (Our angel wings were made by a Ukrainian woman and shipped to us from her home!) We are drawn into the circumstances of our world—near and far. It is often hard to discern if good or evil is winning. But, in the final moments of this story, we choose to express our belief that Love has the final word.”

Moore’s passion for music, ministry, and people is a rare jewel in a performance-oriented arena, but her mission and purpose remain steadfast.

“The Church has loved and trained me well. I still experience that kind of tenderness and support from the Church. I am grateful that we are a group focused on community and bringing hope to a hurting world. We do not always get it perfectly right, but I believe the intentions of the Church have been genuine and seeking to be a force for good in the world.”

Julie Campbell is an editor at Warner Christian Resources (formerly Warner Press) and a freelance journalist. A former city girl from Chicago, she enjoys country life with her husband, Russ, on a five-acre apple orchard in Madison County, Indiana. She is a blessed mom of three wonderful young adult children and one very spoiled red Doberman puppy.

Learn more about the Church of God movement at www.JesusIsTheSubject.org.