Where faith meets action: Pastor Donald Wright’s lifelong commitment to serving others

By Andrew Hall
AFRO Intern
ahall@afro.com

To Pastor Donald Wright, community is everything. Even more than that, serving his community is a lifelong mission.

This July, Wright celebrates 20 years of preaching, and in an interview with the AFRO, he detailed how his ministerial journey began. 

“I was 14 when I first felt like God was laying on my heart to preach. Even as a teenager in the church, I was serving, but I always felt like there was something more for me to do,” said Wright. “I preached my initial sermon on July 6, 2006, and it’s been a great journey.” 

After serving in many capacities at churches across the city, Wright was installed as senior pastor of Mt. Ararat Baptist Church (MABC) in Southwest Baltimore in December 2024. 

There, Wright places emphasis on leading his congregation as they connect with the community. In his eyes, churches are not just religious or spiritual buildings, but also resource hubs for the communities they serve. He underscores this by citing the church’s role in Black history. 

“Martin Luther King Jr., who led and did so much, was a Baptist preacher. Jessie Jackson, who just passed away, came out of the church. Ralph Abernathy came out of the church,” noted Wright. “When we talk about mobilizing the community, even the Civil Rights Movement comes from the church.” 

Wright expanded by explaining MABC’s community outreach efforts. 

“Every fourth Saturday, we go to the Penn North community with full meals. We have grandmas cooking and buying food, and we take it to the community so they know while they might be down, they’re not out,” said Wright. “We have taken clothes to the community, we do soup kitchens and food pantries here at the church. We’ve been able to give out food during the holidays.”

“For back to school, we send our children back with school supplies. We have an amazing scholarship ministry here, where we are consistently raising money to help young people go to college,” he continued. 

Looking ahead to the future, Wright seeks to strengthen his church’s influence in the community. They have plans to establish a partnership with local schools, and have joined a coalition of church ministries across Baltimore with the mission of increasing their ability to serve others. 

Wright, father to 6-year-old twins Delaney and Donald III, often closes Sunday services alongside his children. As a parent first, he stresses the importance of being there for his kids. 

“As a parent and pastor, I want to make sure that I show my children that I am serving God, but I’m not serving God apart from them. My children come to church with me, and at the end of service, I always invite them to come and stand with me. Daddy is not daddy only when he’s at home, but he’s daddy in church too,” Wright explained. “I want them to always know being a father is my greatest joy. It’s important for my children to feel a part of everything I do.”

When reflecting on his relationship with his kids, Wright is often reminded of the impact his father, Donald Wright Sr., had on him. 

“My father was my hero. I saw my hero in his strongest moments, but I also saw him in some of his weakest moments. For many years, he struggled with cancer, through remission, through on and off sickness bouts,” said Wright. “I have enough ‘I love yous’ from my father to last a lifetime. He reminded me all the time that he loved me and that he was proud of me.” 

Wright’s dad passed away when he was just 17-years-old. After that, he and his late mother, Melisa Wright, leaned on each other for strength. 

“After my father passed away, me and my mother, we got close. We had to get close. She was all I had and I was her oldest son,” noted Wright. “She never let me leave her presence without reminding me that she loved me. I try my best to model that for my children.”

For Wright, the word family means more than just those related by blood. As a proud member of the Zeta Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., he explained the significance of brotherhood. 

“Since pledging, I have gained a new community–a new family. One of the greatest things about the fraternity is these brothers are willing to come to the table, to share their stories and help someone else be better,” Wright said. “When my mother passed away, the fraternity surrounded me. When I experienced my divorce, the fraternity surrounded me. When I’ve gone through other challenges, the fraternity has been a place of support.” 

Since joining Zeta Sigma, Wright has served as second vice president, recording secretary and chief of staff for the regional director of Bigger Better Business. 

Danielle White, a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., described Wright’s connection to her organization. 

“Donald has cultivated a special and meaningful bond with the constitutionally bound Sorors of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., consistently showing up in support, service and love for the sisterhood,” White told the AFRO. “His willingness to lend his time, wisdom and hands wherever needed reflects the true spirit of unity and collaboration.”

Wright’s love for community outreach is also reflected in his role as Baltimore City’s Tax Sale Ombudsman. 

“As the Tax Sale Ombudsman, I connect with people on the verge of losing their house. They can reach out to my office for details regarding the tax sale process or how things got to where they are,” Wright noted. “I am able to help them navigate through city services, and connect them with resources to be able to stay in their homes.”

When mentioning what he’s grateful for, Wright highlighted faith and family. He also expressed gratitude for his bright future outlook. 

“I’m thankful for my future. Twenty years ago, I preached a sermon called ‘Destined for Greatness.’ Twenty years later, I still believe that I’m destined for greatness. I’ve got a lot more bucks and bruises, a lot more cuts and scars. I’ve had a whole lot of ups and downs, but I’m still destined for greatness,” said Wright. “I’m so grateful that my future is bright, that Baltimore’s future is bright and that my community’s future is bright.”

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