The senior pastor of Shades Mountain Baptist Church, a congregation of roughly 7,800 members in the Birmingham suburb of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, announced his resignation Friday in a video posted to social media, saying his final Sunday sermon was two days away and asking his congregation to “please pray like crazy.”

Rev. George Wright offered no specific reasons for the departure in his video announcement. He said that the decision had come into focus over the previous two weeks.

“Over the past couple of weeks, it has become clear to us that our time here at Shades is coming to an end,” he said, adding that the decision had been “heartbreaking” for his family.

He said the congregation’s leadership is committed to finding his successor.

Wright told the congregation that nothing in his life disqualifies him from ministry or stands in the way of his continuing to pursue God’s calling.

“I am more passionate and committed right now to live out this purpose than I’ve ever been," he said. 

He has served as senior pastor of Shades Mountain Baptist since Aug. 15, 2021, a tenure of less than five years, according to AL.com. 

Before coming to Vestavia Hills, Wright served as pastor of Shandon Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina, from 2017 to 2021.

He was born in Houston and raised in Marietta, Georgia, where his father, the Rev. Bryant Wright, led Johnson Ferry Baptist Church.

Church leaders prefaced the video with a written statement on Facebook, pledging continuity and calm.

“As a church, we trust that the Lord is guiding us," the statement reads. 

“Our leadership and staff are committed to walking through this season with care, unity and faith, and we will continue to keep you informed in the days ahead."

In the video appeal for prayer, Wright asked the congregation to pray for the church, his family, the community and “that revival would continue to break out.”

He closed with a declaration that his personal mission remains unchanged.

“The purpose statement of my life is this: to love and worship King Jesus by faithfully serving and loving my family, preaching God’s Word, and pursuing His mission all the days of my life,” he said. “That will continue.”

Wright’s father, Bryant Wright, served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., from 2010 to 2012. 

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/alabama-megachurch-pastor-resigns-abruptly.html