Wright, senior pastor of the Atlanta-area Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, will be nominated by David Platt, senior pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala.
The SBC annual meeting will be June 12-15 in Phoenix.
Platt praised Wright for providing "Kingdom-minded, Christ-exalting servant leadership" for the Southern Baptist Convention this past year.
"I have known Bryant for many years and have great respect for him both personally and pastorally," Platt said in a statement to Baptist Press. "Bryant possesses a deep love for the local church he leads and for the convention of churches of which he is a part. Over this past year as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, he has graciously and faithfully served Southern Baptist churches, encouraging us to work together for the advancement of the Gospel in North America and to all nations.
"Bryant pastors a church full of people who are passionate about spreading the gospel locally and globally," Platt added. "They are active in sharing Christ in the Atlanta area, baptizing hundreds of new believers this last year and ministering to urgent spiritual and physical needs in their surrounding community. In addition, they are directly involved in ministry to people in more than 30 different countries around the world. They give selflessly -- during 2010, their total missions giving comprised over $3 million dollars. And they go sacrificially -- over the last year, more than 1600 members have gone on mission trips to other contexts. This church -- led by this pastor -- desires to play a part in the accomplishment of the Great Commission.
"As a husband, Bryant has modeled the relationship between Christ and His church with his wife, Anne," Platt said. "As a father, Bryant has raised his children to know and honor Christ. As a pastor, Bryant has led a local church that is characterized by biblical theology and sacrificial missiology. And as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Bryant has modeled Kingdom-minded, Christ-exalting servant leadership on behalf of Southern Baptist churches. For these reasons and more, I am honored to nominate him for another term of service."
Wright, a native of the Atlanta area, holds a master of divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and a bachelor of arts in English from the University of South Carolina. After graduating from college, he worked for Puritan Chemical Co. for two and a half years before enrolling at Southern Seminary. After earning his M.Div., he was minister to single adults at Second Baptist Church in Houston before accepting the pastorate of the fledgling Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in December 1981. Wright and his wife Anne have three children and three grandchildren.
Baptist Press will provide a statistical overview of churches related to candidates for SBC office at a later date.
Mark Kelly is an assistant editor and senior writer for Baptist Press.
Copyright (c) 2011 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press www.BPNews.net
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