Presbytery of West Virginia elects Lead Presbyter & Stated Clerk in restructuring
PRESS RELEASE
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Maureen Wright was elected as the Presbytery of West Virginia Lead Presbyter and Stated Clerk at the November stated meeting on Saturday, November 15, 2025. As the Presbytery continues to implement structure under a new strategic plan, Wright will oversee other positions within the Presbytery and work closely with the Connectional Presbyter.
Wright, who most recently served the Presbytery of West Virginia as the Transitional General Presbyter and Stated Clerk, has a surplus of experience and strong passion for the congregations in West Virginia.
Rev. Julie Olt, Lead Presbyter and Stated Clerk Committee Chair said Wright’s foundation, built by strong faith, is clearly fueled her successful tenure as Transitional General Presbyter.
“Throughout our interviews, we were deeply impressed by Maureen’s ability to artfully connect the mission of the Lead Presbyter role directly to Scripture. She has already demonstrated exceptional leadership by proactively implementing the new strategic plan and guiding the presbytery toward its future vision,” Olt stated. “We are absolutely delighted that she has accepted the call to serve as our Lead Presbyter and Stated Clerk.”
Baptized, raised, and confirmed in the Presbyterian Church and surrounded with a love for God and commitment to engage in mission, Wright was active in the Presbyterian Church through the Presbytery of Cincinnati where she served as a youth delegate to the Synod of the Covenant and youth advisory delegate to the General Assembly. Wright graduated from Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts prior to completing a Master of Arts in Christian Education from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education (PSCE).
Wright has served as a Christian Educator at churches in North Carolina and earned her certification from the PC (USA) as a Christian Educator in 2004. She was ordained as a ruling elder by Village Chapel Presbyterian Church in Charleston, West Virginia, on January 18, 2011. Wright has faithfully served the Presbytery of West Virginia as Stated Clerk since 2013 and Associate Congregational Support from 2016 to 2023. In 2023, Wright stepped in to the Transitional General Presbyter and Stated Clerk role.
“Not long after I began serving a church in the Presbytery of West Virginia, I was delighted to encounter Maureen and Todd Wright. I remember both from my time in the Presbytery of Western North Carolina, where I grew up and participated in the Presbyterian Youth Council,” said Pastor Andrew Rice, incoming chair of the Presbytery of West Virginia’s Leadership Team. “It is truly a testament to God’s provision and the connectional nature of the church we all serve that I now get to work alongside Maureen in her new role as Lead Presbyter. I am honored that we are colleagues in ministry, and I welcome her voice and vision to guide the Presbytery into a new chapter of glorifying God.”
Wright will step into her new role immediately where she will collaborate with staff and Presbytery committees and commissions to continue the implementation of the newly adopted strategic plan, work with pastors and churches to support their ministry and mission, and participate in life and worship of congregations throughout the Presbytery.
“During the interview and search process, the concept of hope became a recurring theme. I will begin my work as Lead Presbyter with a broad Presbytery wide conversation about hope,” Wright said. “I want us to think about what the Bible has to say about hope, to think about the role of hope in the Good News of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, to think about the ways hope undergirds our ministry and mission.”
Wright resides in Charleston, West Virginia, with her husband, the Rev. Dr. Todd Wright. She is a member of Village Chapel Presbyterian Church, where she sings in the choir when able and serves on the Worship Committee. Together, the Wrights have two adult children. Her hobbies include cooking, reading, gardening, and hiking.
The Presbytery of West Virginia is regional governing body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with more than 110 congregations throughout West Virginia, excepting the two panhandles.
