GRANTSBURG—One of his first Sundays in the pulpit at Grace Baptist Church in Grantsburg, new pastor Brad Moore gazed out into his congregation and couldn't help but smile.

"I dress almost exclusively in black," Moore explained.

"When I looked out in the congregation, I saw a bunch of people wearing black," he continued with a laugh. "It was a fun thing to see."

While he likes to sing and does like country music, the dress code is not some hidden way of honoring Johnny Cash. "It makes clothing selection a lot easier in the morning," Moore admits sheepishly.

And by wearing black, it was the congregation's way of welcoming Moore to his new church.

Moore came to Grantsburg from Florence, which is on the other side of the state, where he had served for 12 years.

"Florence is almost as close to Michigan as Grantsburg is to Minnesota," he pointed out.

"I was not looking for a new church at the time but I'm always open to see where God might be leading me," he said.

In most cases, a change will occur because the pastor feels he has accomplished his goals at his church and is ready to move on or if a church is looking for a new pastor. In this case, Grace Baptist called Moore.

"I'm really excited about being in Grantsburg — there are a lot of similarities to Florence with the rural setting and the activities available here," he continued.

As far as Grace Baptist, he's looking to continue and expand the ministry already in place.

"What really drew me was Grace being a community-minded church," Moore explained. "It's what God wants a church to be about — to be focused."

He said Feed My Sheep and Car Care are two of the more visible ministries and he'll work to continue those.

"I want to get to know the community, see what their needs are and learn how Grace is uniquely-gifted to meet those needs," he said of his immediate plans.

Right now, he said the church is involved in a lot of evaluation to see where the church is and where it wants to go. "The people here seem willing to do that," he said.

Moore likes to be involved in things and hopes to use his love of leadership and mentoring skills to develop leaders. "I'm real interested in mobilizing people," he commented.

He enjoys working with parents and parent groups, sees himself as a team guy and he enjoys sports. "I even used to do some coaching," he added.

One visit to his office will tell you Moore is a book guy. "I love to read. American history is one of my favorites," he said.

Moore and his wife of 28 years, Jayne. have three daughters, two of whom are still in college and one has graduated.

There is a formal installation service scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 14 at 3 p.m.