God’s Faithfulness: 30 years at Moody

This month marks a significant milestone for the man who leads Moody Publishers. We asked him to stop by and share about his experience at Moody.

By Greg Thornton, vice president, Moody Publishers

“How long have you worked there?”

I’m sure that you’ve been asked that question about your job. I have - in fact, just this week. My answer surprised the person who asked me. “Thirty years,” I said. I knew their surprised reaction was coming not because I couldn’t possibly be that old (I am!), but because there are so few people who stay with one company for 30 years. That’s just not the norm today. In fact, there are some who say that it’s not wise to limit your career to one place.

Yet 30 years at Moody hasn’t felt all that unusual to me, being surrounded by men and women who have given themselves to decades of faithful service to Christ. My father-in-law Chuck Christensen served more than 40 years before retiring. And two men who went before me at Moody Press worked more than 50 years (Will Norton and Roy Granzow)! As well, longevity at other Christian publishing houses like Tyndale and Zondervan is not all that unusual.   

It helps when you enjoy the people you work with. I wish you could personally interact with the committed and Godly people here at Moody.  As well, I’ve been favored with some absolutely fantastic bosses.  And the authors I work with are some of the Lord’s choicest servants.

As well, it makes a difference when you use and appreciate the products you help produce. I love books!  Even more, I love to hear the stories of readers who have come to more fully know, love and serve Jesus Christ as a result of reading a Moody title.

This anniversary year I’ve been meditating on Psalm 90. Moses reminds us in this wise prayer, “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.” Life is short.  So, all of us need to allot our days wisely, recognizing the importance of our work.  We  have been given a work by God.  And like Moses, we should pray God’s favor upon our work. “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” God is working in our midst. We should pray that we may see it and enjoy it as we behold it. God is building His kingdom, and you and I are privileged to be a part of it. For me, I’ve been honored to be called to the work at Moody Publishers these past 30 years.

Tell Us Your Story

The foot traffic through Chicago’s campus comes in waves now as conferences and organizations use our facilities and the students embark on their summer adventures. But our 125^th Anniversary year still goes on. Today, our public relations assistant shares about an exciting opportunity to be involved in the celebration.

By Elizabeth Parrilli, public relations assistant

Videos open endless doors of opportunity to communicate effective and powerful stories to a wide range of viewers. With music and images, words and pictures, people and stories, a video can provoke a new feeling, promote a  new thought and portray a matchless story. With its ability to be easily shared and watched in just a click of a button, video is spreading like wildfire on our computer screens, mobile devices and tablets.

With this in mind, we have created a contest in the pursuit of powerful, intriguing, and creative videos showcasing the great legacy of Moody Bible Institute. To make this happen we need you to crank out your camera and tell us your story.

For the past 125 years the students and alumni of Moody Bible Institute have been ministering to the people of Chicago and travelling to the ends of the earth to share the gospel. All alumni and students have played a role in this grand story and we are eager to hear about how your Moody education has shaped you, changed you, taught you and touched the world for Christ through you.

Let loose your abstract and artistic side. You don’t need to be professional, just passionate. If your video is chosen not only will it be showcased on our website, but you could win a $200 or $500 gift card. Use your summer to spend some time sharing God’s power in your life through Moody on a video, and upload it to YouTube or Vimeo by August 1. We are excited and ready to watch how your Moody experience has affected your current ministry and Kingdom work.

To learn more about the contest you can visit the Get Involved section of Moody’s 125^th website.