Shane Moore is Veteran of Year

Local teacher and minister Shane Moore was named the 2022 Pike County Veteran of the Year by Pike County Middle School. He served in the U.S. Marines and left for the service four days after graduating from high school. He went to Paris Island June 8 and from there to North Carolina to Camp Geiger and onto Camp Lejuene. He also served at Dobbins Air Force Base.

“The Marine Corps motto is ‘For God, Corps, Country.’ Honoring people and taking care of them, that’s what matters,” said Shane Moore. “How you treat people is important. It’s an honor to be able to serve the community and work with kids. I just try to be obedient and do what God tells me and this is where it landed me.”

He was congratulated at PCMS by teacher Todd Child, assistant principal Carrie Dawson, his wife Dena Moore and daughter Lilli Moore. Child said Shane is very humble but the flag in his room shows he’s still proud to be a Marine.

“The survival skills, the perseverance, the drive and ambition that the Corps has given him, has carried over 10-fold into his civilian life. After his discharge, he dove headfirst into ‘grunt work,’ working his way up the corporate ladder. He went from dockworker, to lead roles, to management. After years of corporate work, he chose to answer God’s call on his life and left all of that behind to pursue a call to ministry,” said his wife Dena Moore. “He has been the youth pastor at Life Springs Church for over 14 years, in addition to being the senior pastor at Hollonville United Methodist Church.”

Some of those very same values he learned during his time served have also carried over into the way he has conducted his ministry. He has led by example. He still puts others before himself, and he still has the mindset of ‘leave no man behind.’ He believes that every individual needs to have the opportunity to know and learn about the love of God.”

Shane has also since become a teacher. He has worked and/or substituted at every single Pike County public school. He currently teaches Agriculture Mechanics at Pike County High School and serves as one of the FFA advisors.

“I have watched him pour into our students as if they were his own children. He really enjoys teaching his students welding, electrical wiring and so many other practical life skills,” said Dena. “Shane tries to help instill those same Corps values and skills into all of the students he comes in contact with. He has guided countless students into their new careers based on skills they have learned from him.”