Moulds, Lenel George (1927–2001)

Lenel Moulds served as a Seventh-day Adventist minister in Christchurch and Sydney and taught religion at Columbia Union College. He returned to Australia to teach religion at Avondale College (now Avondale University) but was dismissed in 1968 for his unorthodox views.

Heritage and Early Education

Lenel George Moulds, the youngest child of Henry George Moulds and his wife Lauretta Ann (Pearson), was born in Sydney, New South Wales, on March 19, 1927. His older siblings were Laurel Ellen (b. 1917) and Thomas (1921).¹ During his childhood and teenager years, Lenel’s parents moved their family many times, answering ministerial appointments in New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and Victoria.² The social and educational disadvantages when transferring from one school to another arguably caused severe disruption to his early schooling. However, Moulds proved to be a bright student who recovered in later years from his early disadvantages. He attended the Australasian Missionary College (later Avondale University), graduating in the Ministerial Class of 1947 of which he was class president.³

Moulds married Ruth Meyers in the Wahroonga Church on December 14, 1948. Ruth was the daughter of Elder H. J. Meyers and the granddaughter of Elder F. L. Sharp.⁴

Active Service

After his graduation, Moulds was appointed to minister in Christchurch, South New Zealand. He and Ruth returned to that city after their marriage and remained there until 1953.⁵ Moulds accepted a transfer to the Greater Sydney Conference in 1954. During his ministry in Sydney, he was ordained to the gospel ministry.⁶

Soon after his ordination, Moulds decided to do further study. He returned to his alma mater (then named Avondale College) in 1958 to earn a Bachelor of Arts (Theology) degree.⁷ He and his family then embarked for America on June 23, 1959.⁸ He proceeded to Andrews University and graduated in 1960 with a Master of Arts degree. His special interests were biblical languages and archaeology. His thesis was titled “A Study of Eduth in the Scriptures.”⁹ Moulds then secured a teaching position in the Department of Religion at Columbia Union College (now Washington Adventist University). He remained there until 1964.¹⁰ Both Lenel and Ruth Moulds joined campus activities with enthusiasm. Ruth rendered piano recitals at concerts.¹¹ Lenel agreed to be the faculty sponsor for Synthesis, an extra-curricular program of music and lectures.¹²

Moulds wanted to study for a doctorate and could have enrolled in a three-year program at Vanderbilt University¹³ but, instead, in 1964, he chose a five-year program at Harvard University. Soon after starting the program, he realized his finances would not be sufficient for him to complete it. Australian Church authorities had only agreed to sponsor him for three years.¹⁴ For this reason, he terminated at Harvard and returned to Andrews University to study for a Bachelor of Divinity and another Master’s Degree. He completed his Master of Theology in 1967 with a thesis titled “The Whole and the Restored Pottery of the 1913, 1914 Shechem Campaigns.”¹⁵

Trouble Brews

While studying at Andrews University, he reached a stage in his thinking, it was claimed, where he rejected the writings of Ellen White and imbibed the teachings of German theologian Rudolf Bultmann, who sought to strip away the miraculous, supernatural elements of the life of Christ in the Gospels.¹⁶

The Australasian Division sponsored Moulds under an agreement for him to serve in Australia for an appropriate number of years. However, Moulds did not want to return to Australia, and in the summer of 1967, he went to Chicago to earn money to repay the Division. He had also taught at the undergraduate level at Andrews University to accumulate some funds.¹⁷ These efforts, however, proved to be insufficient, and Lenel was obliged to return to Australia.

Prior to leaving Andrews University, Moulds had conducted a Sabbath School class at Pioneer Memorial Church. Dr. W. G. C. Murdoch was present and was prompted to share some concerns with Elder Naden at Australian headquarters in addition to two Australians at the General Conference offices.¹⁸

After arrival in Australia, Moulds began to teach for the Theology Department in 1968.¹⁹ A crisis soon developed. A student wrote home accusing Moulds of teaching unorthodox views. The father relayed the accusations to Elder Naden, who called Moulds to explain his theological views at the Australian Church headquarters.²⁰ Moulds did not share credible arguments in defense of his unorthodox teachings, and the Church authorities removed him from his teaching position, foregoing their substantial investment in his educational training.²¹

Post-Avondale

Following his dismissal from Avondale College, Moulds found employment with a mortician.²² He passed away on his birthday, March 19, 2001, leaving Ruth and their three children, Lenette, David, and Elizabeth, to mourn their loss. His remains were placed with those of his father in the Seventh-day Adventist portion of Macquarie Park Cemetery, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW.²³ Ruth Moulds passed away on May 28, 2020.²⁴

Sources

Coombe, L. C. “Wedding Bells.” Australasian Record (January 17, 1949).

Hook, Milton. Avondale: Experiment on the Dora. Cooranbong, NSW: Avondale Academic Press, 1998.

“Lenel George Moulds.” FamilySearch. Accessed December 2, 2025. https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/pedigree/landscape/GYTR-Z31.

“Lenel George Moulds.” Find A Grave Memorial ID 145781209. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/145781209/lenel-george-moulds.

Maxwell, L. G. “Life Sketch.” Australasian Record, February 8, 1954.

Parr, R. H. “New Face on the Faculty.” Australasian Record, March 4, 1968.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association. Various years. https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

“Students of the Music Department….” Columbia Union Visitor, February 14, 1963.

“Synthesis Program Resumed.” Columbia Union Visitor, March 26, 1964.

Valentine, Gilbert. Erwin Gane Letter Collection, California.

Notes

1. “Lenel George Moulds,” FamilySearch, accessed December 2, 2025, https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/pedigree/landscape/GYTR-Z31.↩

2. L. G. Maxwell, “Life Sketch,” Australasian Record (February 8, 1954): 14.↩

3. Milton Hook, Avondale: Experiment on the Dora (Cooranbong, NSW.: Avondale Academic Press, 1998), 329.↩

4. L. C. Coombe, “Wedding Bells,” Australasian Record, January 17, 1949, 7.↩

5. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, 1952, 96, 407.↩

6. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, 1958, 81.↩

7. R. H. Parr, “New Face on the Faculty,” Australasian Record, March 4, 1968, 5.↩

8. Email, David Moulds to Milton Hook, January 20, 2026.↩

9. R. H. Parr, “New Face on the Faculty,” Australasian Record, March 4, 1968, 5.↩

10. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1963), 268.↩

11. “Students of the Music Department…,” Columbia Union Visitor, February 14, 1963, 12.↩

12. “Synthesis Program Resumed,” Columbia Union Visitor, March 26, 1964, 9.↩

13. Letter, Erwin Gane to Desmond Ford, July 20, 1965.↩

14. Letter, Erwin Gane to Desmond Ford, August 19, 1964.↩

15. R. H. Parr, “New Face on the Faculty,” Australasian Record, March 4, 1968.↩

16. Letter, Erwin Gane to Desmond Ford, March 29, 1968↩

17. Ibid.↩

18. Letter, W. G. C. Murdoch to Desmond Ford, April 30, 1968.↩

19. R. H. Parr, “New Face on the Faculty,” Australasian Record, March 4, 1968.↩

20. Email, Gillian Ford to Milton Hook, December 2, 2025.↩

21. Letters, Erwin Gane to Desmond Ford, July 9, August 9, 1968.↩

22. Email, Gillian Ford to Milton Hook, December 2, 2025.↩

23. “Lenel George Moulds,” Find A Grave Memorial ID 145781209, April 29, 2015, accessed December 2, 2025, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/145781209/lenel-george-moulds.↩

24. Email, David Moulds to Milton Hook, January 20, 2026.↩