Pictured right: prayer during a rally at Word of Life Island, a teen camp
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hil was born in a rural town outside Fort Wayne, Indiana. He grew up in a Christian home and was introduced to Jesus through believing parents who were actively involved at church. In describing the journey that molded him into who he is today – a faithful servant of Jesus, husband to Kym Moser, father, grandfather, pastor, author, and international Bible teacher – Phil explains that God worked through many small details to direct him toward a life of ministry. During high school, Phil was discipled by John Barnett, who worked at the Christian boarding school Phil attended. (Today, John Barnett is a renowned speaker and a board member at Word of Life.) Phil shares, “He was God’s spokesman in my heart during my high school years.” Already, God was laying the groundwork in Phil’s mind for the importance of biblical discipleship. Phil went on to complete a degree in business at Bob Jones Univer- sity. As graduation day approached, he presented his career plans to his friend and future wife, Kym. “I expected her to be wowed; instead, she asked me the question, ‘How involved is God in all those plans?’” When confronted with the realization that he hadn’t laid his life direction before the Lord, Phil decided he would try seminary for a semester – until God changed his plans in a way he didn’t expect. “My sister was a staff nurse at Word of Life Island, and I came to pick her up. While I was there, Word of Life missionary Don Kinzer asked me about my plans for the following year.
"At Word of Life, God developed my love for ministry,
because there were so many opportunities to actually do ministry."
This was no secret to God, however. After wrapping up his master’s degree, Phil was asked to become the campus pastor for the New York Bible Institute campus. He accepted this position, and he and Kym served faithfully in the lives of students for three years. After- ward, Phil became the teaching pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in New Jersey, where he has been ministering for nearly thirty years. He continues to return to the Bible Institute as a guest lecturer and has taught at seminaries and conferences around the world. Throughout Phil’s years in full-time ministry, he has made an indelible mark on the landscape of discipleship and biblical counseling. One of his most noteworthy contributions – and one that is familiar to any Bible Institute alumnus who studied under Phil Moser – is the Biblical Strategies book series. “In part, the Biblical Strategies series came out of my work with Bible Institute students,” Phil shares. "Even though I didn’t start writing until much later, it was there that I saw how the Bible works – how the Bible helps someone with anxiety, and how it helps someone with self-pity.”
‘I’m going to seminary to see if I’m called to ministry,’ I responded.
‘Seminary is where you go when you have a call to ministry,’ Don replied, ‘but the best way to discover your call to ministry is to do ministry.’”
Through that conversation, Phil decided to come to Word of Life Bible Institute in New York. “At Word of Life, God developed my love for ministry, because there were so many opportunities to actually do ministry. With each new opportunity, my love for God and others grew.” Phil’s desire to pursue teaching came out of his year as a Bible Institute student as well. One day, he was asked to fill in for a study hall position that involved peer tutoring and teaching. “Afterward, I said to the Lord, ‘If I could do that for the rest of my life, that would be great.’” After graduating from the Bible Institute and serving on staff for a short time, Phil married his wife, Kym, and the two moved to California so Phil could attend The Master’s Seminary. It was there Phil developed a heart for pastoral teaching. He shares, “I didn’t know how God would connect pastoring and my love for Word of Life.”
17 The Word of Life Experience 17
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