History of the American Negro: West Virginia Edition

Thomas S. Wright

282 history american negro preached at Shady Grove, Glen White, three years. He has been on the work at Friendship Church, Lester, for seven years. He was called to Powellton in Fayette County and served that church two years, while Mt. Airy at Layland held him one year. He has been serving the Mt. Joy church at Fireco for a year and Mt. Hope for a few months. So his present work includes Lester, Mt. Hope and Fireco. He has had a fruitful ministry and is active and prominent in the work of the denomination . For five years he has been Secretary of the Winding Gulf Baptist Association and for four years Second Vice President of West Virg­ inia Baptist Convention. He gives practically his whole time to church work. While he is a Republican in politics he has not been active. His lodge affiliation is with the Pythians. Of course, in his reading and study the Bible and theological reading has the right of way.After that he finds history his most helpful line of reading. Just now in his early prime Mr. Woodson is busy with affairs of the kingdom and may look to the future with confidence. Thomas S. Wright One of the men who is doing notable work in the upper Guyan Valley for the Baptist cause is Rev. Thomas Simeon Wright, pastor of the Baptist church at Lorado. Like so many of the other religious leaders of the state he hails from the Old Dominion. He first saw the light in Lynchburg, Va., on September 13, 1886. It is interesting to note that his father, William James Wright, was also a Baptist minister. Rev. T. S. Wright’s mother, before she married his father, was Emma Johnson; she was the daughter of Tom and Larky Johnson. Mr. Wright was married on March 18, 1918, to Miss Bessie E. Handy of Elkins, W. Va. She was educated at Institute. They have one child, Katherine Louise Wright. thomas simeon wright 284 history american negro A minister’s education is an important matter, and the qualities displayed in securing it often exemplify the man, as well as his later work. Mr. Wright laid the foundation of his education in the public schools of Lynchburg. After that it was necessary for him to make his own way, but he persevered through the years, and secured liberal training. He spent three years at Virginia Seminary and College at Lynchburg where he combined his literary and theological work. He has continued to read and study and is a well informed man. His religious experience began very early in life,due no doubt to the fact that he grew up in a religious atmosphere. He was converted at the tender age of seven and joined the first Baptist church at Pocahontas, where the family then lived. By the time he was fifteen he was definitely committed to preaching the Gospel—and was licensed at twenty. The following year he was ordained to the full work of the ministry by the Tried Stone Baptist Church of Grove City, Penn., and for fifteen years has been in the active pastorate. He served that church for two years and finished paying for it, and went from there to Youngstown, Ohio. He was then missionary for the Northern Baptist Association for five years, which included field work such as meetings, institutes, and the organization and strengthening of the Baptist work in weak places. He was then called to the Shiloh Baptist Church at Elkins, W. Va., which he served for three years and repaired the house of worship. The membership grew from 50 to more than 200. In 1919 he accepted the call of the Lorado church, which has experienced, under his ministry, its greatest period of prosperity. In three years the membership has increased from 35 to 173. Mr. Wright does his own revival work, in which he has been unusually successful. He is prominent in the work of the denomination, being Secretary of the Guyan Valley Association, Secretary of the Ministers & Deacons’ Union and First Vice-President of the State Ministers Union. In his church, Mr. Wright has created a regular relief fund for the distressed and for emergencies through which he disburses in practical assistance birton linward zeiglar 286 history american negro of those in need as much as...