Rev. Dr. Art Wright, Senior Pastor
Hey there, my name is Art. I started as Senior Pastor of Williamsburg Baptist Church in November 2020. Before coming to Williamsburg Baptist, I served as Theologian in Residence for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia (CBFVA), and was Associate Professor of Spirituality and New Testament at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (BTSR) from 2011 to 2019. I have also taught at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA, Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Shawnee, KS, and Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA.
I am a runner, coffee drinker, reader, and avid nerdy board gamer. My wife Beth is the director of Camp Alkulana (www.alkulana.org), an amazing ministry of the Richmond Baptist Association. Because she runs a summer camp, I’ve picked up a lot of fun certifications over the years to support her. I am her go-to canoe and lifeguard instructor for her summer staff, and also teach rock climbing, rappelling, and CPR. We have two young children, both of whom love Legos, Star Wars, and classic Nintendo and Sega video games.
I believe that God is so much greater than any of us can imagine. All of our language for God is like a signpost pointing into the mist—the signpost might give us an idea of who God is . . . but ultimately we have to take a step of faith into the mist, trusting that God will meet us there in unexpected ways. I believe that in Jesus, God demonstrated God’s radical hospitality to the world. Jesus lived out an alternative vision of the way the world could be, if we ground ourselves in love, compassion, and acceptance. I believe we as Christians are called to continue Jesus’ mission of inaugurating God’s reign in the world, so that the world reflects God’s divine love more and more.
I have a deep love for the local neighborhood church. I believe that historic congregations such as ours can take the best of our past traditions while finding creative ways to innovate, so that our church can be a relevant and transformative presence in our community. I also believe strongly that the sacred texts of Scripture hold transformative and liberating power for us as individuals, our communities of faith, and the world.
As a Bible scholar, my research interests include the Gospels, Revelation (not Revelations!), the Roman Empire in the New Testament, and perspectives on the afterlife in the Bible and early Christianity. I am also interested in spiritual disciplines, centering prayer, and Celtic spirituality. I have published several essays and articles on the Roman imperial context of the New Testament. My book, The Governor and the King: Irony, Hidden Transcripts, and Negotiating Empire in the Fourth Gospel, was published in 2019 by Wipf and Stock.
I am a member of the editorial board of the Review and Expositor journal and also serve as their book review editor. I am active in the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), a professional organization for biblical scholars, and have given a number of presentations at national conferences. I am also a member and former co-chair of the “Jesus Traditions, Gospels, and Negotiating the Roman Imperial World” program unit of the Society of Biblical Literature.
I have an M.Div. and a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Union Presbyterian Seminary. I attended Averett University in Danville, VA, for my undergraduate studies, and hold a B.A. from there. I also currently serve as the Chair of the Advisory Board for the Baptist House of Studies at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond.
If you made it this far and are still reading, thank you! I’d love to get to know you better. Please feel free to reach out (you can click the link below) and we’ll find a way to connect, whether in person, via Zoom, or on the phone!
I am a runner, coffee drinker, reader, and avid nerdy board gamer. My wife Beth is the director of Camp Alkulana (www.alkulana.org), an amazing ministry of the Richmond Baptist Association. Because she runs a summer camp, I’ve picked up a lot of fun certifications over the years to support her. I am her go-to canoe and lifeguard instructor for her summer staff, and also teach rock climbing, rappelling, and CPR. We have two young children, both of whom love Legos, Star Wars, and classic Nintendo and Sega video games.
I believe that God is so much greater than any of us can imagine. All of our language for God is like a signpost pointing into the mist—the signpost might give us an idea of who God is . . . but ultimately we have to take a step of faith into the mist, trusting that God will meet us there in unexpected ways. I believe that in Jesus, God demonstrated God’s radical hospitality to the world. Jesus lived out an alternative vision of the way the world could be, if we ground ourselves in love, compassion, and acceptance. I believe we as Christians are called to continue Jesus’ mission of inaugurating God’s reign in the world, so that the world reflects God’s divine love more and more.
I have a deep love for the local neighborhood church. I believe that historic congregations such as ours can take the best of our past traditions while finding creative ways to innovate, so that our church can be a relevant and transformative presence in our community. I also believe strongly that the sacred texts of Scripture hold transformative and liberating power for us as individuals, our communities of faith, and the world.
As a Bible scholar, my research interests include the Gospels, Revelation (not Revelations!), the Roman Empire in the New Testament, and perspectives on the afterlife in the Bible and early Christianity. I am also interested in spiritual disciplines, centering prayer, and Celtic spirituality. I have published several essays and articles on the Roman imperial context of the New Testament. My book, The Governor and the King: Irony, Hidden Transcripts, and Negotiating Empire in the Fourth Gospel, was published in 2019 by Wipf and Stock.
I am a member of the editorial board of the Review and Expositor journal and also serve as their book review editor. I am active in the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), a professional organization for biblical scholars, and have given a number of presentations at national conferences. I am also a member and former co-chair of the “Jesus Traditions, Gospels, and Negotiating the Roman Imperial World” program unit of the Society of Biblical Literature.
I have an M.Div. and a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Union Presbyterian Seminary. I attended Averett University in Danville, VA, for my undergraduate studies, and hold a B.A. from there. I also currently serve as the Chair of the Advisory Board for the Baptist House of Studies at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond.
If you made it this far and are still reading, thank you! I’d love to get to know you better. Please feel free to reach out (you can click the link below) and we’ll find a way to connect, whether in person, via Zoom, or on the phone!