Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenny Moore.
Hi Kenny, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, shaped by a world that was both vibrant and volatile. My father battled addiction, and my mother—though well-meaning—wasn’t prepared for the weight of motherhood. I was passed between family members—my grandmother, uncle, great-grandmother, and anyone willing to take me in. In the midst of that instability, I longed for belonging, and in my search for acceptance, I began walking the same troubled path my father once had.
By the time I was a junior in high school, I was expelled and sent to live with my adoptive godmother, Momma Tia, in Knoxville. That move marked a turning point. Standing at a crossroad, I was forced to face the reality of my choices. Life hadn’t dealt me the best hand, but I had a decision to make: keep heading down a road of destruction, or take a hard turn toward something new.
Thankfully, Momma Tia never gave up on me. With her encouragement and steady presence, I began seeking a relationship with Christ—not just the cultural Christianity I had grown up around, but something personal and transformative. Though I had always been in church—singing in choirs and playing instruments for congregations across Chicago and later Knoxville—this season was different. My musical gifts opened doors to serve in churches across denominational lines and racial divides, and I began to see how music could be a bridge between communities.
That experience awakened a deep passion for multiethnic ministry. I found myself leading worship, speaking, and building relationships in Christian spaces that were as diverse as the city I now called home. I felt a clear calling: to pastor a congregation that reflected the beauty and complexity of Knoxville itself.
Determined to rewrite my story, I went back to school, eventually earning a master’s degree. More than just a personal milestone, it was part of my larger mission—to create spaces where those who have been overlooked, marginalized, or wounded by life and by church could find a place to belong.
That mission gave birth to Life Song Church—a community for the “island of misfit toys.” Our congregation is a mosaic of denominational backgrounds, races, and political perspectives. What unites us isn’t uniformity, but our shared pursuit of God’s Kingdom and our commitment to live out our faith with honesty and courage. At Life Song, we create room for the hard questions, for healing, and for hope. This is the work I’ve dedicated my life to: building a community where everyone has a voice, and no one is beyond the reach of grace.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the greatest challenges I’ve faced as a pastor has been navigating life as a Black man with an urban worldview while leading a church where roughly 40% of the congregation is White. While this dynamic has come with its difficulties, it has also proven to be a profound blessing. It’s given me the unique opportunity to bridge cultural gaps—bringing together my own lived experiences with the perspectives of my White brothers and sisters to foster honest dialogue, deeper understanding, and a more unified community. That work hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been transformative.
An even more personal and painful challenge came in 2014, when my wife and I lost our son, Zion, after he spent five months fighting for life in the NICU at the University of Tennessee Hospital. That season of grief shook us to our core. Yet through that unimaginable loss, I learned that even the deepest wounds can be pathways to unexpected strength. In many ways, I wouldn’t be the pastor I am today without the pain of that experience. It taught me resilience, empathy, and how to walk with others through their own valleys. Losing Zion broke me open—and from that brokenness, a new kind of strength was born.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Our work is simple but profound: to build authentic community around broken and hurting people. My greatest achievements aren’t measured in single moments but it’s the daily, intentional work I get to do alongside my church family. We focus on identifying the gaps between people and their needs, and then we step into those spaces with love and purpose.
One way we’re doing that right now is by working to launch a Parents Day Out Program to help address the growing childcare disparity in our community. In addition to this, we regularly work alongside Emerald Youth Foundation in their mission to grow healthy children across our city. We serve regularly in assisted living centers offering companionship and care to those who are often forgotten. Everything we do is driven by a deep desire to love people well—to walk with them through life’s highs and lows, and to help them discover and live into the fullness of who they were created to be.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We currently partner with organizations such as Emerald Youth Foundation and Bee Hive Assisted Living Homes, and we are actively seeking to expand these collaborations to deepen our impact in the community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lifesongknox.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pastorkennaniah/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lifesongknox
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lifesongchurchknox
