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Art Wright


 Art Wright

Art Wright is a New Testament scholar and senior pastor of Williamsburg Baptist Church, a welcoming and affirming congregation in Williamsburg, Virginia. He previously served as Associate Professor of Spirituality and New Testament at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (BTSR). Art has helped churches and denominational organizations work toward more affirming and inclusive ministry for LGBTQIA+ persons. A graduate of Union Presbyterian Seminary (PhD), Art has published numerous writings on the New Testament and the Roman imperial world. He serves on the steering committee for the Contextual Biblical Interpretation unit of the Society of Biblical Literature and is the book review editor for the Review & Expositor journal.  


Williamsburg Baptist Church

EXPERIENCES
    Activity Time Information
    Show Date
    Sat 5 Sep 2026 11:00 AM to 11:50 AM
    Title ShortBeyond Affirming: Putting LGBTQ+ Inclusion into Action
    Venue Make Believe
    Presbyterian / 1001 Worshiping Communities
    Experience DescriptionMore churches than ever before consider themselves LGBTQ-affirming, but that declaration—often following a years-long process of debate and discernment—is only the beginning of what it means to be an LGBTQIA-inclusive church. Beyond that momentous decision are everyday practices and choices that make your congregation a truly welcoming, joyful, familial place to be for queer people and their families. This panel of pastors with particular training and insight on various aspects of ministry and queer experience will discuss inclusive approaches to preaching, worship, pastoral care, adult education, youth and children’s ministry, outreach, and advocacy. Should we avoid scriptures that have historically been used to “clobber” LGBTQ people? How can we help the older adults who finally came around on gay marriage to understand and embrace transgender folks too? What unique pastoral care needs should I be aware of for queer congregants? How can we create a culture of inclusion that starts with our very youngest members? These questions and more will bring new insight to how we practice LGBTQ+ inclusion throughout the church. Panelists include Will Brown, CBF pastor and author of \No Longer Male or Female: A Biblical Guide for Our Questions about Gender\, Art Wright, pastor of Williamsburg Baptist Church and co-author with Sanders of the forthcoming \Beyond Affirming: Ministry in LGBTQ+ Inclusive Churches, and Kali Cawthon-Freels, a Virginia-based pastor and author who writes about the intersection of queerness and faith.