Ron Moore Jr.’s genes are made up of two things — football and spirituality.
Moore was born and raised in Frankfort. He attended Second Street School, then Frankfort High School, graduating in 1997.
He played football for the Frankfort Youth Football League (FYFL) when he was younger, and in high school, he played football on the offensive and defensive lines.
Moore is a father of five — his children are Diamond, a sophomore at FHS, Ronnie, a junior at FHS, Christian, a seventh-grader at SSS, Shalom, a fifth-grader at SSS, and Mariah, who is 2 years old. His wife is Marian Moore. Moore is also raising his nephew Zane, whose father is deceased. Zane is deaf and attends the Kentucky School for the Deaf in Danville.
Moore currently serves as the head football coach for the Second Street School’s middle school aged-children, grades sixth-eighth. He used to coach for the FYFL.
When he’s not on a football field or at one of his children’s sporting events, he is either at his day job at Everyday Matters where he helps people with disabilities with their daily tasks, or he’s at First Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church where he serves as an associate minister.
FRANK.: What do you like so much about coaching?
Moore: It’s in my genes and blood. My dad, Ronnie Moore Sr., played at Kentucky State University. He coached for many years at different schools including Paris, FHS, Henry Clay, Lafayette High School and Jesse Clark Middle School.
It’s really just in my blood. I enjoy coaching. I enjoy the kids. It gives me a platform not only for football but for life skills — to teach and instruct and to guide. That’s what I like about it.
FRANK.: What’s it like watching your kids play sports?
Moore: I love watching our kids. I push my kids to be the best they can be. Sometimes I do go overboard being a coach. But, I try not to take the fun out of it.
Sports teach kids about getting along with different people and coming together for a common objective. It’s very fun.
I’ve coached all of my boys.
FRANK.: How long have you been attending First Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church?
Moore: I’ve been at this church for four and a half years, I’m an associate minister here. I’m also the Sunday School superintendent. I was directed by God to come to this church.
I was at another church in Lawrenceburg and they had asked me to be their pastor and I just told them I’d have to pray on it. Every young preacher wants their own pulpit.
But as I prayed, God told me I needed to go and serve Pastor Les Whitlock at First Corinthian. I fought it a little bit and then I eventually came. Pastor Whitlock is absolutely wonderful. It’s an honor to serve him.
FRANK.: Why do you like Pastor Whitlock?
Moore: Pastor Whitlock brings out the best in his congregants. He challenges us to walk like Jesus and be humble. He has so much love and compassion. This church is full of the love of God.
It’s a good place to be and grow spiritually. He’s the busiest man I know. When he was with UPS, he’d get off from work and come to the church.
Pastor Whitlock has a dream to build on to the church and to have a house for inmates to go when they get out of jail. He also wants to have another facility with a gym and fellowship hall where people can come in and have a meeting and the kids can play.
It would be a big community center. We’re currently examining ways to come up with the money to build what we need.
FRANK. Do you have any hobbies?
Moore: I like to write. My grandmother Mattie Brooks, who was from Frankfort, was an author here in town. I believe that’s where my writing comes from. I’m working on my first book, “How to have a relationship with God.”
That’s a strong passion of mine. Anytime there’s a quite time, anytime I can get away, I write. Sometimes I come to the church late at night just to write.
My grandmother wrote a children’s storybook and a book of Christian poems. The books are available at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.
I also write religion columns for The State Journal. I have some other published articles online as well.
FRANK.: What do you do on your free time?
Moore: On my free time, I’m at a sporting event if I’m not somewhere preaching. I do jail and prison ministry as well.
I used to have a Bible study at Franklin County Regional Jail. My season for that is up, but anytime I get a chance, I go by the jail or people will ask me to go see a loved one.
I believe that God has a plan for everybody’s life. Just because someone is in jail, we shouldn’t give up on them, because God hasn’t given up on them. There are people who have turned their life around.
The many things that I do, the many hats that I wear, is all by the grace of God. I don’t take credit for any of it. I realize that it’s God’s grace on my life.
