By Rev. Dr. Atu White
On September 13, 2022, the St. John’s Congregational Church members called Rev. Dayhige Wright to serve as its pastor. We had the opportunity to ask Rev. Wright a few questions.
WHO AM I?
Though I am the one who knows myself best, it is still difficult for me to talk about who I am; however, I’ll give just a few words. My name is Dayhige (Day- High- G) Wright. I was born and raised in Rocky Mount, NC, by my maternal grandparents. They are certainly the most influential people in my village and who I credit for instilling some core values that make me who I am today. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications from Winston-Salem State University and a Master of Divinity degree from Wake Forest University School of Divinity. I am currently pursuing my Doctor of Ministry degree from Drew University. I am a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. In my pastime, I enjoy sitting in the movie theater, golfing, shopping, reading, and spending time with family and friends. For eight (8) years, I served the Living Water Baptist Church of High Point, NC, while simultaneously serving as the Associate Pastor of the New Light Missionary Baptist Church of Greensboro, NC, where my adopted Father, the Reverend Dr. Cardes H. Brown, Jr., is senior pastor. With all that, I declare that I love the life God has blessed me with, I love God, and I love serving God’s people.
What Interests You in St. John’s and Springfield, MA?
Though I am new to both Springfield and the St. John’s Congregational Church, what interests me is having the opportunity to learn and serve both the congregation and the community. St. John’s has a rich, long history, 178 years to be exact, of being that church not just in a community but for the community, and to have the chance to make sure that its legacy and influence continue, is something I will strive to do as best as I can.
What are you looking forward to accomplishing?
I believe this is an intriguing question because I can’t help but think of Proverbs 16:9, “we can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” However, I look forward to the transformation that I pray fosters as I strive to build relationships with the people God has graced me to serve, along with other faith communities and the city. I’m excited about the good encounters that will come with this move, seeing that this will stretch me not only as a pastor but as a person. Getting the chance to learn not only how to lead in a new context, but learning a new culture and everything else that comes with this move is somewhat thrilling to me, though I am pretty sure that there will be some changes that will stretch and shift me, it’s still an exciting notion. I will say that while I’m looking forward to a lot of things, I’m not looking forward to the bruteness of winter, I can say that, but it comes with the territory of moving to the North, I guess.
We welcome Rev. Wright to the city as he begins his pastoral journey on November 6, 2022. ■
