Harris & Moore Expedition Through the Bible answers live questions

DUBLIN, Tex. (BNc) — Every Monday from 6-7:00 p.m. CST, David Harris and Tom Moore present lessons from the Bible on their phone-in talk show.

In an email interview with David Harris, BNc asked him about the program’s origins and development.

Can you give us a little background about the radio program?

It all started in October of 2008. I was sitting in my office one afternoon, when Mike Trusty, a Gospel preacher, walked in and said that he had just bought a radio station. He wanted to know if I would like to have a radio program. He said he would give me one half hour of air time free on his radio station, KEQX. I told him that I had been thinking of something like this but money had been an issue.

What was the inspiration for your radio program?

I wanted to have a live talk show where people could call in and have a non-opinionated answer from the Bible. To make this happen I needed someone to come in with me and be a partner in the program. I asked Kerry Clark if he would be interested as he had done work like this in Abilene on television. He said yes, and so began the Harris and Clark Expedition through the Bible. We quickly moved from ½ hour to one hour because there just wasn’t enough time to lay a foundation on any subject so as to allow callers to state opinions or to ask questions. Kerry moved out of the area and Tom Moore moved in and the transition was about as smooth as one could imagine. The only change was the name. It is now Harris and Moore Expedition through the Bible.

How is the program funded?

Currently, the program is being funded by the Hillcrest church of Christ in Stephenville, Park Heights church of Christ in Hamilton, Tex., Bangs church of Christ in Bangs, Tex., and the Dublin church of Christ in Dublin, Tex.

Can you give us a little background on the people who work on the program?

Well, I am a native of Texas, married to Joy (Callaway. I have three children, five grandchildren. I am a graduate of Tarleton State University and am a former rancher. I began preaching full time in January of 2000 with the 4th and Stewart church in Brownwood, Tex., and am currently working with the Hillcrest congregation in Stephenville, Tex. I have worked with the Cisco Summer Youth camp for eleven years and hold several Gospel meetings and lectureships a year, and publish many articles.

Tom Moore is a 1986 graduate of the Southwest School of Bible Studies in Austin, Tex. He has preached in local congregations in Laurel (Del.), Buna (Tex.), Comanche (Tex.), Port Lavaca (Tex.), Malvern (Ark.), Temple (Tex) and is currently working with the Park Heights Church of Christ in Hamilton, Tex. Tom has also done course work at Jerusalem University College in Jerusalem, Israel, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Ministry from Southern Christian University.

Tom is one of the editors and founders of “Seek Ye First,” a free quarterly gospel journal. He has done religious work in Ghana West Africa, Jamaica, and India. He writes for a range of religious journals and speaks on various Lectureships and Gospel Meetings each year. He also sends out “from the Preacher’s PC” – an email service including daily devotionals, articles, and sermon outlines. Tom and his wife, Carole (a Nurse Practitioner and Ladies’ Day Speaker), have three children and two grandchildren.

Ryan Smithey, the preacher for the 4th and Stewart Church of Christ in Brownwood, TX is the webmaster of www.harrisandmoore.org  – all past programs are archived there.

Also, we have three fill-in speakers for the program: Terry Jackson of Rising Star, Tex., Michael Light of Bangs, Tex., and Tim Ayers of Hico, Tex.

How do you prepare each week?

Tom and I meet each Monday, several hours before the radio program, to game plan and go over the material that we have worked on during the week.

Do you think you are making a difference in the community with your program?

One of the most significant things the program accomplished was to stop the production of a play that was being put on by the Tarleton State University theater department. The name of the play was “Corpus Christi.” This was a play being used by a student in the department to receive a grade for the semester.

The play was depicting Jesus Christ being a homosexual and having twelve homosexual friends. It was an outrage to the community and certainly to the church, so we took on the University heads and asked them to stop the production of the play. Their response was that it was a freedom of speech issue.

We invited the head of the Fine Arts Department to come on the show with us but he refused and then it seemed that the administration dug in their heels. We took this insult of our Lord to our listening public and encouraged them to call, e-mail or discuss in person, with the Tarleton administration, and express their displeasure. They did and the whole issue took on a life of its own.

Word got out to the Ft. Worth Star Telegram that our radio program was trying to stop the freedom of speech rights of a student and soon five different television stations came and did interviews concerning this struggle.

Tarleton claimed they had received over 8000 e-mails in one day. This went on for a week until finally, David Dewhurst, Lieutenant Govenor of the state of Texas, came out on the A.P. wire saying (paraphrasing) that he was thoroughly disgusted with the school for allowing this whole thing to happen.

The night before the play was supposed to go on stage, the Tarleton administration released a public statement to the news that the play would be cancelled because of security issues. (Not one single piece of mail could be produced to show any hostility had been shown toward the players or the school).

We feel the program made a difference, and still today we get comments about this very thing.

What are your plans for the future?

We plan to stay on top of current moral and doctrinal issues facing and troubling the church. Our  plans are to inform and strengthen the church.

Our motto has always been; “You have heard what men have said, now listen to what the Bible has to say.”

How can listeners find your program?

Harris and Moore Expedition Through the Bible can be heard on 89.7 FM KEQX out of Dublin, Tx. Call-ins are welcome by phone at 254-445-2473, or email or you can listen to the program live on the web.