Rev. Moses A. Simms, Jr., D.Min.

 

 

Reverend Dr. Moses Alvin Simms, Jr. is the Pastor of Greater Turner Chapel A.M.E. Church in Greensburg, Louisiana.  He began his ministry by accepting his call in 1985, under the leadership of now Presiding Elder Rev. Joseph Young and was licensed to preach in 1986, by Presiding Elder Joseph Cyprian. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronics Engineering from Southern University and A & M College, Baton Rouge, LA, in 1989, and the Master of Divinity degree from Turner Theological Seminary of the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1993. In June 2014, Pastor Simms earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, OH, in collaboration with Payne Theological Seminary, in Wilberforce, Ohio, with a concentration in Black Studies and Transformational Leadership.

 

Upon graduation from ITC, Dr. Simms returned to the 8th Episcopal District to begin his pastoral ministry.  His first pastoral appointment was issued in the Eighth District Episcopal office by Bishop Robert Thomas to Cummings Temple A.M.E. Church, New Orleans, LA. In his years of service at Cummings Temple, the church raised over $82,000 in 18 months, purchased and relocated to her own worship facility on Chef Menteur Highway, and the Allen Community Development Corporation (CDC) was formed and incorporated.  Under his leadership, the Allen CDC began a 3.7 million dollar, thirty-home (single-family) housing development in New Orleans East through collaboration with Hibernia National Bank.  His second pastoral appointment was to Lee Chapel A.M.E. Church in Morgan City, LA. During his service at Lee Chapel, the church was able to retire the mortgage of over $25,000 in 18 months and was able to purchase additional property for the church. During his tenure at Lee Chapel, Dr. Simms was able to organize the Christians Aiming to Reach Everyone (CARE) CDC in Morgan City, and was instrumental in the formation and incorporation of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance for Morgan City to address the needs of the community.

 

Dr. Simms was appointed to Greater Powell Chapel A.M.E. Church in Grenada, MS, at the seat of the Eighth District Planning Meeting in 2006. During his tenure at Greater Powell Chapel, Pastor Simms reduced the indebtedness of the church by over $100k while providing the leadership that resulted in major renovations of over $110,000. During his service to Greater Powell Chapel A.M.E. Church and the community of Grenada, Dr. Simms served on the City of Grenada Election Commission, the Grenada Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and became President-elect of the Chamber in 2014. Pastor Simms also served as the Chair of Powell Chapel Housing Development Corporation that oversees the $1.7 million Powell’s Place, an elderly housing apartment complex. He formed and secured 501 (c) 3 statuses for the Greater Powell Chapel CDC and the North Mississippi CDC. 

 

Dr. Simms was appointed to Greater Turner Chapel A.M.E. Church in Greensburg, Louisiana at the seat of the Eighth Episcopal District Planning Meeting in November 2014. Under the leadership of Dr. Simms, Turner Chapel’s IRS debt of over $27,000 was eliminated and the former worship structure was torn down to eliminate potential liability risk which would have adversely affected the church. Dr. Simms has begun to put in place standards and procedures of transparency and accountability in the business affairs of the Church, which have increased the morale of the members and the income to the church.

 

Dr. Simms has served as the Director of Christian Education for the Central New Orleans–Bogalusa District and as ITC Extension instructor for the Louisiana Conference.  He has served as Dean of the Central Louisiana Conference and the North Mississippi Conference Board of Examiners. Dr. Simms currently serves on the Board of Examiners for the Louisiana Annual Conference and serves as the Treasurer of the Eighth Episcopal District. He was elected to serve on the 2008-2012 General Board.  Dr. Simms currently serves as a member of the 2012-2016 General Board and he currently serves as the Assistant Secretary for the Commission on Statistics and Finance. Dr. Simms has represented the 8th Episcopal District as a delegate to the General Conference in 2000, 2008, 2012 and as the 1st Alternate in 2004. He has served on the Revisions Committee for the 2008 General Conference, as a Sub-Committee Chair on the Revisions Committee, and as a member of the Compilation Committee for the 2012 General Conference. 

 

Dr. Simms believes that all members of the clergy should be given professional courtesies and treated equitably. He has supported WIM throughout his pastoral ministry by working in conjunction with the various levels of WIM and by creating preaching opportunities for WIM inclusive of churches that are leading churches on the Presiding Elder District, Annual Conference and the Eighth Episcopal District. Dr. Simms has helped to coordinate and garner support for WIM during the election of delegates to represent various Annual Conferences since 2000. Dr. Simms has a better understanding and appreciation of the challenges the WIM encounters, due to the fact that his wife is an Itinerant Elder in the A.M.E. Church and has pastored for over six (6) years. 

 

Dr. Simms has over 15 years of professional management/supervisory combined experience in the corporate and academic arena, with the ability to lead and train others. He has the capacity to promptly comprehend innovative concepts for conflict resolution and improve group dynamics. Dr. Simms served for over five (5) years in the Office of Sponsored Programs that was responsible for the oversight of over $20 million dollars in grant funding. He assisted in the review of proposals and budgeting for agency compliance and regulations. Dr. Simms was responsible for maintaining the Dun and Bradstreet compliance and electronic submission of institutional proposals. He also assisted in the review of funded proposals for federal and state compliance according to the agency approved agreement, inclusive of budgetary allocations.

 

Dr. Simms is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and a resident of Zachary, Louisiana. He is married to Rev. Karen D. Thompson Simms, a native of Birmingham, Alabama. They have been married for over thirty years.  They are the proud parents of son, Brandon Malik and Kiara DeShea. 

 

Dr. Simms would like to be known as a man committed to the work of the Triune God. He lives by the three principles of transparency, integrity, and accountability. Dr. Simms understands that the call to ministry is a call to serving God and God’s people, and he lives by the motto, “Serving God by Serving Others.”