Photo by Erin Nelson.
George Wright, the new lead pastor at Shades Mountain Baptist Church, stands inside the worship center. Wright now leads the congregation on Sundays, after moving to the Birmingham area at the beginning of August to begin his new role at the church, following Danny Wood’s retirement earlier this year.
When George Wright graduated from the University of South Carolina, he landed a “great job” with a company and was excited to start his new life with his new bride, Megan.
But before he worked a day in his new role, Wright began to feel what he described as a “total restlessness.”
“This is not what I’m supposed to do with my life,” he said he remembered thinking.
Wright, now 42, had a strong relationship with Jesus Christ and had been involved in collegiate ministry, but it wasn’t until he graduated from college that he felt God calling him to full-time ministry.
Wright planted a church in suburban Atlanta before returning to Columbia, South Carolina, in 2017, to serve as pastor at Shandon Baptist Church.
Four years later, Wright has taken over the pastorate at Shades Mountain Baptist Church, which had been led by Danny Wood for more than 20 years. As his new church puts it, he moved “from Columbia to Columbiana (Road).”
“It’s been an incredible blessing,” Wright said of following Wood. “Danny has done a great job welcoming me and introducing me to core leadership. It’s been a beautiful process.”
Wright said the community at Shades Mountain has been encouraging and welcoming, and said he is grateful to lead the church. As he and his wife prayed about coming to Shades Mountain, it became obvious that this is where the Lord was leading them and their four children, he said.
His new church and his previous church have more in common than Wright realized, he said. When he was researching the church during the search process, Wright discovered they both have “Live Sent” as a mission statement. He said he figured it wasn’t original when Shandon Baptist decided on it but never knew it would come up again in his ministry career.
“Living sent” has become part of Shades Mountain’s identity.
In the last 19 years, Shades Mountain Baptist has done ministry in 80 countries, 21 time zones and all 50 states and takes 35 trips each year, Wood said. The church has planted 15 churches internationally and 38 in North America. It was something the church grew into upon Wood’s arrival. Church members had always given to missions but took a step forward in going on mission trips, Wood said.
“We love to be able to advance the kingdom of God,” he said earlier this year.
Wright said he wants to continue focusing on sending people out from the church to spread the gospel, at home and abroad.
“We really want to see the church reach the community, and see people go out the door on mission,” Wright said.
Spreading the gospel and seeing people changed by it is what drives Wright, along with empowering the church to live on mission.
“I love seeing life change,” Wright said. “It is so exciting to see people experience the good news of the gospel.”
As a pastor and as a father, Wright said he is also passionate about reaching the next generation and wants that to be an emphasis at Shades Mountain.
Wright has seen something grow from nothing in his time as a church planter and has seen people find life in God. While in South Carolina, Wright said he was able to spend time with college students who got really excited about their faith, and he was also able to play a leading role in racial reconciliation in the area — something he is passionate about.
Looking back on his ministry so far, Wright said perhaps the most meaningful is the “privilege” he has had of seeing each of his children come to faith in Christ and baptizing them.
Leading a church in the midst of a pandemic isn’t easy, Wright said. Sometimes things are changing daily, and being in leadership positions is hard, he said.
“Everybody’s trying to find their way,” Wright said. “God is teaching us to live with open hands.”
Wright didn’t start preaching until Sept. 12 and spent time getting to know other pastors in the area and learning more about Shades Mountain Baptist and the members there.
Wright said it’s easy to see why people want to live in Vestavia Hills, but people’s spiritual needs are no less here than anywhere else.
“Like everywhere else, the need is great,” Wright said. “There’s always spiritual need; there’s always brokenness.”
