Prolific Adventist editor and author was ‘a stalwart defender of God’s truth,’ leaders say.
Marvin Leroy Moore, editor of Signs of the Times, died in the morning of September 27, 2021, at his home in Caldwell, Idaho, United States, with his wife, Lois, by his side. He was 84.
Marvin Moore was born March 14, 1937, to Fred and Blanche Moore, missionaries in Lima, Peru. His sister, Evelyn, was born a year and a half later. His family eventually moved to Argentina and later to Cuba. His mother home-schooled him through sixth grade.
Moore graduated from Forest Lake Academy in Apopka, Florida. While there, he won first prize playing the piano piece “Malagüena” in a talent show. He attended Southwestern Junior College in Keene, Texas. He later graduated from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1959 with a degree in theology and the desire to be a college Bible teacher.
From there, Moore attended the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, which at that time was located at Washington Missionary College in Washington, D.C. He interned with the Southern California Conference in Pomona, California.
The Mojave, California, church was his first pastorate; Westminster, California, his second. From there, he went to teach Bible classes at Mount Ellis Academy in Bozeman, Montana. Moore then decided to return to school and obtained a master’s degree in church history from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. During this time, he read a book about writing and realized this was an area of interest to him.
After graduating from Andrews University, Moore took a job as a pastor with the Texas Conference. His first marriage ended soon after. For several years, he provided for his children by painting residential and commercial properties. It was during this time that he began writing stories and articles for Adventist magazines. He also edited and published the first community newspaper in Keene, Texas — The Penny Gazette. Whenever he heard a siren, Moore would jump in the car, kids and all, and take off toward the scene to collect hot news for the paper.
To hone his writing skills, Moore attended the University of Texas at Dallas, earning a master’s degree in creative writing. Around 1974, he began working as a freelance writer and published his first book, Trial by Fire, a compilation of stories about bravery. Shortly after that, he met and married the love of his life, Lois Wilson, on December 20, 1976. They both had a passion for serving God and others.
While continuing to write, Moore returned to pastoring for the Texas Conference, serving the Alvarado and Waco churches. In 1985 he was offered his dream job at Pacific Press, where he served for a total of 36 years, first as a book editor and for the past 27 years as editor of Signs of the Times magazine.
In addition to his career as an editor, Moore was a prolific author and speaker, writing nearly 40 books and hundreds of articles. Many of his books and articles were translated into numerous languages for international distribution. He traveled the world to share his faith in God and his passion for the gospel. He was a longtime member of the Caldwell Seventh-day Adventist Church in the town where he lived. Moore served on the church board, taught Bible lessons, gave Bible studies, and supported the ministry of the church in a variety of ways.
Moore’s dedicated service was greatly appreciated by the world church and was an inspiration to many.
“Marvin was a stalwart defender of God’s biblical truth and as a scholar had a special gift in prodding people’s thinking towards eternal truth,” Ted N. C. Wilson, president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, said. “We thank God for working through Marvin in this capacity as editor of Signs of the Times for 27 years! Many people will be in heaven because of their contact with Signs of the Times and Marvin’s work.”
Evangelist and author Mark Finley recalled, “I first met Marvin more than 30 years ago and was deeply impressed with his clear grasp of end-time events centered in Christ. His approach to prophecy was solidly Adventist and extremely practical. The Seventh-day Adventist Church will miss the clarity of his voice through the written page in Signs of the Times.”
“Marvin’s commitment to God and His church and expressed through his writing, preaching, and editing has made an eternal difference in many lives,” Pacific Press Publishing Association president Dale Galusha said. “He will be greatly missed as a friend, co-worker, and editor.”
Moore was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Blanche. He is survived by his wife, Lois, with whom he spent 44 happy years. He is also survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Evelyn and Charles Griffin, his daughter, Sheri, his son, Barry, daughter-in-law Lisa Joss-Moore, and his granddaughter, Mia.
A celebration of his life will be held on the lawn of the Pacific Press Publishing Association building at 5:00 p.m. (MT) on Saturday (Sabbath), October 2, 2021. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Pacific Press Publishing Association for Signs World Evangelism, which sends Signs of the Times and Pocket Signs (small spiritual pamphlets) to those who cannot afford to subscribe.