FROM A HAIL CALL TO A HIGHER CALL

A background on Jon Paul Moody
by
Candise Farmer

Atop a striking bluff overlooking the winding Tennessee River, removed from all influences of the outside world, a fifteen year-old boy, known to his peers as J.P., finds himself adventuring at one of the finest Christian camps in the nation.  For one week during the month of July, this eager, yet somewhat laidback, lad sleeps, eats, and habitats within the gates of Fort Bluff Camp which is nestled in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains.

Aside from basketball competitions, fishing rodeos, hikes, and campfires, the teenaged campers of Fort Bluff are exposed to a session of fundamental Bible-preaching during the morning and evening of each day.  The camp’s staff has a two-fold purpose: provide an action-packed, enjoyable experience for the campers, and expose them to encouraging, Spiritual challenges designed for today’s adolescent.

It was after a day of swimming and biking when this hardly fatigued young man, J.P., entered the camp’s tabernacle for the evening worship.  As the service progressed, the words from a classic “Type A”, balding and ultra-energetic preacher weighed heavily J.P..   “Look at that lad.  Without his lunch, would Jesus have fed the multitude?  The lad gave all he had, and it was enough, more than enough.”  J.P.’s thoughts created a repressed dialogue with the raging preacher.

“It is important.  Everyone needs to give all he has to Jesus.”  It was the emotion of this confession that prompted J.P. to walk the aisle and kneel at the tabernacle’s altar.

It was invitation time, and as scores of other teens humbly positioned themselves at the base of the platform, J.P. began conversing with God about his desire to give his “five fishes and loaves” to Jesus.  But he wondered if his metaphoric lunchbox was lacking a bit? 

J.P. rehearsed his situation.  “Too short for a big basketball career.”  “Not that crazy about singing infront of anyone.”   “Too fearful to be a self-called preacher.”  The God-accompanied discussion continued. 

As the pianist continued verse after verse, J.P. prayed, expressing to God his sincere desire to do and be whatever he could for God.  The call had been issued, and  J.P. was willing to surrender his all to God’s using.

His tender prayer concluded with “Lord, I don’t know exactly what You want from me, but whatever You want, it is Yours.  You know I’m not a star athlete, not able to sing too hot, not preacher material yet, but I can do one thing pretty good.  I can blow a duck call pretty good.  Lord, if You can use it – You can have me and my duck call.  Just whatever I can give to you, it is Yours, Lord.”

As J.P. slowly stood to his feet, wiped a few modest tears, and returned to his seat, he had no realization of how his prayer of commitment, voiced on July 8th, 1996, would impact the Kingdom of God. 

Upon God’s call and J.P.’s surrender, a Divine, supernatural talent began to be uncovered in the life of Jon Paul Moody – game calling at its best. 

Game calling is a talent not normally considered to be a Kingdom-enlarging instrument, but now (as witnessed by thousands across the nation) is recognized as Jon Paul’s “fishes and loaves” to reach souls for Christ. 
During the fall of 1999, Jon Paul’s mother sighted an ad in an outdoor magazine promoting the Annual National Rifle Association Convention to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Listed in the tentative agenda was the Great American Game Calling Challenge.  After a few hours of research, the hopeful mother presented her case to Jon Paul, the novice competition caller. 

The contest would be the only one of its kind.  Callers would be required to call not one, but seven wild game species, including the Canada goose, duck, whitetail deer, Rocky Mountain elk, coyote, owl and wild turkey.  Jon Paul had always heard, “If you can master the duck call, you have a good chance of mastering other calls.”

Within a few months and endless hours of practice, Jon Paul’s entry had been mailed, vacation time had been arranged, and a packed-to-the-limit Suburban rolled out of rural West Tennessee headed for Charlotte.  Jon Paul had decided to enter his first calling contest.

The Moody family has no record of doing anything halfway, so accompanying Jon Paul on his championship-seeking mission were his dad, mom, sister, brother-in-law and little granny.  The “Jed Klampit look-a-likes” were expecting to see a parade of elk, whitetails, and Eastern longbeards marching behind their SUV as they unloaded in Charlotte.  The seven-hour drive proved to be an optimal time for Jon Paul (and his family) to digest several game calling cassettes and spend some time practicing.

Prior to the Charlotte contest in 1999, Jon Paul and Brodie Swisher (currently of Covenant Ranch) founded Harvest Outdoor Ministries, Inc., a non-profit ministry based on winning people to Christ through the platform of hunting and the outdoors.
 
Before entering the contest, Jon Paul realized the ministry potential for Harvest could possibly expand upon his success as a competition caller.  Jon Paul knew that any titles he obtained as a caller, could be used as “door-openers” to take the Gospel into countless, hunting-related events.  This conviction was the key motivation for Jon Paul, who usually is quite timid and not fond of crowds, to enter the contest.

The registration for the event left Jon Paul mesmerized.  Among those competing in the profession division were some of the greatest names in the calling/hunting industry, Brad Harris, Ricky Joe Bishop, Dick Kirby, Damon Davis – just to name a few.

These admired sportsmen were adorned with impressive endorsement stitchery.  Jon Paul’s Harvest Outdoor Ministries’ wear led to inquiries and gave Jon Paul opportunities to share his faith.   To Jon Paul, it seemed the veteran callers formed a tight-knit circle.  This observation became explainable when Jon Paul discovered these title-holding professions recalling the numerous past contests they had all attended in previous weekends. Although already established in the ring of competitive game calling, the seasoned callers reached out to Jon Paul, commenting about the potential of the unknown West Tennessee amateur.

The three day contest began.  By the end of the preliminary round, scores indicated that the titles of the champion callers were being seriously pursued by Jon Paul.   Finally, after thirty-something hours of intense calling, Jon Paul was named First Runner-Up in the Hunter Division of the NRA Great American Game Calling Challenge.

Jon Paul’s tastebuds of competition calling were awakened; he found the competition exhilarating, enjoyed the overall morale of the event and appreciated the freedom to share about Christ during the weekend.  Many of the callers, NRA staff and spectators were receptive as Jon Paul solicited Harvest literature, including Harvest’s hunter-oriented Gospel tracts.

Prior to leaving the convention, Jon Paul learned the location of the next annual convention and began planning his trip to Kansas City with hopes of becoming World Champion.   In 2001, the Jon Paul clan traveled to Kansas City, Missouri, site of the NRA Annual Convention and Great American Game Calling Challenge.  It was here, Jon Paul earned the title he sought for over a year, Hunter Division World Champion.

The news spread quickly.  First a local newspaper, then a state newspaper, word of mouth, a national magazine, television coverage.  Soon many people were learning of Jon Paul’s big win. The Harvest Herald, the bi-yearly newsletter of Harvest Outdoor Ministries, reported the contest’s outcome, and God began to multiply Jon Paul’s “loaves and fishes.”

Jon Paul began being invited to conduct calling demonstrations and speak at various outdoor/hunting events across the eastern portion of the nation.  Within the first year of earning the title, Jon Paul speculates he traveled to over thirty church gatherings, hunting expos or wild game suppers sharing Christ through the ministries of Harvest. 
Today, Jon Paul continues to maintain a rigorous calling/speaking schedule.  God has given Jon Paul a diverse repertoire of entertaining and spiritually challenging demonstrations and seminars. 

On most occasions, Jon Paul will begin a segment with a fascinating, World Champion-quality medley of game calling, present a brief highlight video of selected hunts and then conclude with a powerful, spiritual implication. 
God has provided Jon Paul with the opportunity to share his calling gift in various settings.  He frequently calls and speaks at non-typical church events, such as wild game suppers and expos, but Jon Paul has also enjoyed the invitations to call and speak in formal, Sunday morning worship services on a plush platform with a robed choir in the background.  Over the past four years, Jon Paul speculates over twelve hundred people have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus through Harvest Outdoor Ministries.

 The ministry of Jon Paul Moody and Harvest Outdoor Ministries, Inc. is truly a picture of God’s provisions when overlooked talents are surrendered to Him.  Just as Christ multiplied the meager lunch of the young lad mentioned in Matthew chapter 5, Christ still possesses an amazing ability to utilize seemingly small portions of talents and gifts surrendered to Him . . . and graciously, even that of blowing a duck call.