Raymond Moore

Raymond D. Moore was born on October 27, 1933, to Burley and Lula Mae Moore near Edinburg, Mississippi. He spent his early years around Edinburg and Carthage and graduated from Edinburg High School.

On June 30, 1954, he married Hazel Mondale Miller. At the time, he had not yet received the Holy Ghost, but having married into a family of Pentecostal pioneers—Buford and Jimmy Miller, brothers of Hazel’s father, Willie B.—it wasn’t long before he desired that same experience. In 1955, Raymond repented, was baptized in Jesus’ Name, and received the Holy Ghost. Immediately, he began sharing the life-changing power of his new faith.

In 1957, Raymond entered the U.S. Army, serving most of his tour in Germany. In a letter home, he told Hazel that God had called him into the ministry. Upon returning in December 1958, they settled in Pascagoula, Mississippi, assisting Hazel’s uncle, Pastor Buford Miller.

After two years, the Lord led Raymond to Durant, Mississippi, to begin a new work. He converted an old garage into a church, starting with five members. God blessed, the building was completed, and the congregation grew.

Four years later, he felt called to Crystal Springs, Mississippi. In 1969, after receiving approval from the Mississippi District Board, he purchased three acres of land when no bank would finance a new church. Services began in a storefront before moving into the partially completed building that Raymond, a skilled carpenter, built himself.

Though progress was slow, God provided. The local section of the Mississippi District contributed funds, and once the bank saw the church’s growth, it loaned enough to finish construction. The congregation flourished, reaching about 100 members. The church was paid off, and Pastor Moore dreamed of building a larger facility on Highway 27.

However, before that vision was realized, God called him home on April 30, 2001, at Baptist Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi. For 31 years, Pastor Raymond D. Moore faithfully led the Crystal Springs church, witnessing miracles, growth, and countless souls filled with the Holy Ghost.