Dr. Leroy Wright, Jr., Pastor of First Thessalonian Missionary Baptist Church kicked off the December 4th Virtual Transform Westside Summit with a riveting devotion which drew inspiration from The Bible’s Book of Nehemiah, where Nehemiah, a cup bearer to the King, rebuilds the walls of Jerusalem. Reverend Wright paralleled Nehemiah’s efforts with the effort to revitalize Atlanta’s Historic Westside while emphasizing the need to ensure legacy community members have a “seat at the table.”

Reverend Wright acknowledged the current climate of the nation as he recounted the division over the presidential election, protests against social injustice, and a resurgent pandemic. Reflecting on how Nehemiah was able to gain the trust of the people in Jerusalem, he advocated for leaders on all levels to embrace transformational leadership and seek unity, adding, “It’s not us versus them…it is WE.” By conveying “understanding, acceptance, and respect,” Reverend Wright believes we can “disarm the defenses and ease the anxiety of others.” Together, we can uplift the Historic Westside community and ensure that everyone—our richest to our poorest, our oldest to our youngest, legacy residents to new residents—can all have a seat at the table.

View Reverend Wright’s devotion below.