Pastor Walter S. Moss was born May 19, 1954 in Canton, Ohio. He graduated from McKinley High School in 1973 and was named Mr. McKinley. He attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio armed with a football scholarship. While attending Ohio University, he was one of the founders of the Gospel Voices of Faith choir. He graduated in 1977 with a B.S. Degree and spent one year at Ashland Theological Seminary. He subsequently received a Master's Degree in Theology from Jacksonville Theological Seminary in 2003.
Pastor Walt now serves as Project Director for CIRV (Community Initiative to Reduce Violence). This includes a "Boots on the Ground" initiative which involves walking neighborhoods to communicate with residents, business leaders, recreational leaders, youth and their parents, encouraging all to say "no" to gun violence and to help all people make right choices for their lives.
Pastor Walt has served the Stark County community for more than eight years as president of the IMA (Interdenominational Ministers' Association of Stark County and Vicinity). This group seeks to bring unity in ministry and to develop ways to help the disenfranchised of the community.
Pastor Moss recently retired as pastor of Canton Foursquare Church, a position he held for 17 years, even serving as pastor for more than 25 years in the Stark County area. March, 2014 marked 38 years in ministry in the USA and around the world. He has traveled to many nations, especially to the Caribbean as well as Kenya, Niger and Togo doing short term mission work. Through 35 mission trips to Cuba, he helped to found two ministry schools. He has an extended Prison Ministry at the Stark County Jail and at state prisons in Ohio. Pastor Walt has served on the Founding and Advisory Board of what is now the Pregnancy Support Center of Stark County and Northeastern Ohio. He has also served on the Advisory Board of Stark State College. He is currently the chaplain for Forty Days for Life and is associated with the National Black Pro-Life Coalition. He continues to work with many organizations in Stark County and throughout Ohio to promote spiritual growth and positive attitudes among all ages, especially youth. He is a motivational speaker to many diverse groups.
He has received a plethora of community awards including the Path Finder Award from McKinley High School, the Stark NAACP Humanitarian Award, the Canton Negro Oldtimers' Athletic Association, Hall of Fame Award, and awards from the Stark County Pregnancy Support Center and the Stark County Social Workers' Network.
Pastor Moss is married to Minister and entrepreneur Darleen Moss. They have two daughters, Mari (Christopher) and Shannon and nine grandchildren (Aniya, Kashmeir, Calia, Sophia, DeiOra, Anya, Marcos, Matthew, and Isabella) who, to their delight, call them Grandpa/Papaw, and Grandma.
