Beth Moore on overcoming abuse, growing a worldwide ministry and leaving her beloved denomination

The Bible teacher and founder of Living Proof Ministries speaks candidly about her “knotted-up” life

At the tender age of 18, following a life-changing experience of God’s presence, Beth Moore surrendered her life to “vocational Christian service”. Knowing she wanted everything she did thereafter to be “ministry”, she found herself leading a Christian exercise class in her local church in 1980 during the height of the aerobics craze. What began as a small side-project for the young mum eventually morphed into a huge speaking and writing ministry known as Living Proof, which has reached millions of women right across the world.

At a time when Christian women – especially within the conservative Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) to which she belonged – were encouraged to be stay-at-home mothers and wives, Moore was speaking to thousands in packed-out stadiums across America. Her books and Bible studies – later picked up by Lifeway, the publishing division of the SBC – went on to sell in their millions.