About the Pastor
The Reverend James M. Moody is the Senior Pastor of Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church of Chicago, Illinois – an appointment he accepted in January 2002. The Reverend Moody’s ministry experience has focused on restoring church congregations and physical facilities. The restoration of the historic Quinn Chapel, the first African American Church established in the City of Chicago in 1844, represents the third such assignment for Moody in his twelve-year ministerial career.
The Reverend Moody holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Masters Degrees from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
Prior to entering full time ministry in 1996, Moody held a number of increasingly responsible positions with General Mills, Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota over a fifteen-year career including Director of Corporate Diversity and EEO, and Controller for West-Coast Manufacturing and Distribution Operations of the Consumer Foods and Food Service Divisions of the Corporation.
The Reverend Moody’s leadership roles extend beyond the walls of Quinn Chapel to a number of outside involvements which include the positions of President of the AME Church Ministerial Alliance of Chicago, Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the African Methodist Episcopal Church of Chicago, and Vice President of the Board of “The Renaissance Collaborative” of Chicago, a 101 room facility, assisting men and women out of homelessness and into mainstream living.
He is a writer for the African Methodist Episcopal Church newspaper, “The Christian Recorder.” His “Pastor’s Corner” is an internet devotional read around the globe. He is known for making Biblical principles useful for daily living. Often heard saying, “This is a good problem!” he tackles the toughest pastoral assignments uncovering the excellence contained in each setting. Some of his most popular workshops are “Pleasing God Through How I Handle Money,” “The Way of the Winner,” “Get Out of That Pit,” “Building Godly Relationships,” and “Created for Excellence.”