Dr. C. Thomas Wright
Executive Director of Missions (Associational Missionary)
“Thanks to my folks, I have been involved in Southern Baptist churches since the cradle roll. I recognized my sin and accepted Jesus as my Savior at eight years old. The Lord protected me from many teenage vices and I remember admitting to a high school friend that one day “I might be a preacher.”
I entered the pre-medical program at Shorter College and soon joined the Baptist Student Union. That fellowship was instrumental in teaching me the need for a daily walk with the Lord. In the summer of 1977, I went on a BSU-sponsored medical mission trip to Grenada, West Indies. I realized while serving there that the evangelistic work was much more enjoyable than the medical work. I heard and accepted a clear call to missions. The remainder of college confirmed the desire to be a “doctor of the Spirit” instead of a doctor of the body. I enjoyed the subsequent years of missionary service in church planting/evangelism in Thailand and with the HMB/NAMB. I have particularly enjoyed serving as adjunctive professor of missions/evangelism at Liberty, SEBTS and NOBTS.
I accepted the call to Mobile in December 2004. I have been interested in associational missions since the college internship and have been recommended to several different associations. I never felt led to accept until I heard from the Mobile personnel committee.
I am looking forward to serving with our associational committees as we emphasize Biblical Prayer, Evangelistic Ministries, Church Development, Church Planting, and Partnership Missions.”
Dr. Thomas Wright serves as the Executive Director of Missions for the Mobile Baptist Association (Associational Missionary). He serves with the associational staff to lead our 109+ churches in biblical prayer, evangelistic ministries, local and global missions partnerships, church starting, church growth, and strategy development.
Thomas is married to the former Donna Jean Reynolds, a native of Chattooga County, Georgia. They have one son, Jason (born 1988), and one daughter, Amy (born 1991), both married. Donna is Education Minister at West Mobile Baptist Church and freelance writer for LifeWay curriculum and other periodicals. She earned a Master of Arts in Religious Education from SWBTS in 1986. Donna earned a Ph.D. in Leadership in 2017.
FACTUAL DATA
Birth: 1957, Atlanta, Georgia
Ordination: Friendship Baptist Church, Rome, Georgia, 1981
Education: Shorter College, Rome, GA, 1975-79, B.A.
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, TX, 1981-84, M.Div.;Ph.D. 1985-88, (Summa cum Laude). His dissertation was entitled “A missiological strategy for the evangelization of Lowland Laotian Refugees in the United States.”
Additional study: Baylor University; Fuller Theological Seminary
Visiting Scholar, Oxford University, England, 1995
Experience: Youth Minister, Blackwood Springs Baptist, Calhoun, GA, 1976-78
Minister to Youth and Youth Music, Friendship Baptist Church, Rome, GA, 1978-79
President, Shorter Christian Association (all campus ministries), 1978-79
Missionary Journeyman, IMB, Bangkok, Thailand, 1979-81. Served as Dean of the English school at
the Baptist Student Center, worked in refugee camps with Laotians, Cambodians and Vietnamese.
Founding Pastor, First Laotian Baptist, Ft. Worth, TX, 1981-86,
Founding Pastor, Saginaw Laotian Mission, Saginaw, TX, 1985-87
National Ethnic Missionary, HMB, Atlanta, GA, 1986-89, assisted starting language congregations
Dir., Language Church Dev. Dept., HMB, Atlanta, GA,1989-91, Strategy development and training
Dir., Materials Dev., Evangelism Section, HMB, Atlanta, GA, 1991-97
Interim Pastor, Cumming Baptist Church, 2001- 2002
Prayer Strategist, Prayer Evangelism Unit, NAMB, Alpharetta, GA, 1997-2004
Executive Director of Missions, Mobile Baptist Association, 2005-Present
Other: Adjunct Professor, Liberty University, N. Georgia School of Christian Training, New Orleans, Golden Gate, Southeastern, Southern, and Southwestern Seminaries. Classes taught in evangelism, missions, church growth, Baptist History, Christian History, Interfaith evangelism, New Testament, Preaching, and others.
Partnership Evangelism and Missions: Japan, Australia, Guatemala Italy, France, Brazil, Croatia, Hong Kong, Mexico,vGrenada, West Indies. Teaching ESL classes, Refugee ministry, Prayer walking, scripture distribution, street witnessing, revivals, back yard Bible clubs, church planting, church growth, evangelism, and prayer workshops.
Curriculum writer, NAMB, Brotherhood, BSSB, WMU, LifeWay, 1993-present
Review editor, Journal for Academy of Evangelism in Theological Education, 1993-1998
Contributing Author, The Net, Meeting Our World; Fifty Great Soul-Winning Sermons, Before Revival Comes, and Chapter 27 “Contextual Evangelism” in the B&H Missiology textbook, Design team for Total Church Life, People Sharing Jesus, Mormon Puzzle, Vietnamese and Cambodian Baptist Hymnals, “Here’s Hope” and “Celebrate Jesus” national simultaneous evangelism emphases.
International Who’s Who, Board of Publications – Missiology Magazine, 1995-1999
Articles in: Baptist History and Heritage; Deacon; Net Results; Missions USA; Evangelism Today; Search; Christian Single;Viewpoints; Adult Extra
Author: Taking Prayer to Streets, A Prayer Guide for Associations & Churches , PrayTimer: Real Time for Real Prayer, software and Bible study. Co-author: Total Church Life Leaders Guide;
Released by Mobile Baptist Association, 616 Azalea Rd. Mobile AL, 36609
Dr. Wright’s published materials include:
PrayTimer (in English and Spanish)
Prayer Guide for Associations and Churches
Taking Prayer to the Streets available in English, Chinese, Spanish, Korean, Russian and Vietnamese
Chapter 27 “Contextual Evangelism Strategies” in the B&H Textbook Missiology; Design team for NAMB’s Evangelism Material The NET
Internet Evangelism article in Decision Magazine, Conducting a Deaf Ministry and Preparing a Church for a Deaf Ministry, and How to conduct a Wild Game Banquet in Men at Work Magazine.
Articles in Alabama Baptist: Evangelism in a Pluralistic Context and Giving an Evangelistic Invitation
Church Media Magazine article entitled “The Role of the Media Library in Evangelism”
WMU Our Missions World Articles on Prison ministry, Unity, Obedience, Imitating Christ, and Reaching a Muslim Neighbor.
WMU Week of Prayer articles on supporting evangelism, missionaries, CP & AAEO, and North American Missions
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