James R. Wright, Jr. was born in Nitro, West Virginia, October 1, 1944, and is married to Virginia Ruth.  They have three children: Jamie, Jason, and Jennifer; and 7 grandchildren.

Pastor Wright was saved at the age of 18 and while in college, studying to be a teacher and football coach, he was called to preach; whereupon, he transferred to Mid-America Christian University, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; formally Gulf Coast Bible College, Houston, Texas, where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Bible.  In 1975 he received his Masters of Bible from Universal Bible Institute, Alamo, Tennessee.  Pastor Wright received his Doctorate of Ministries from Lake Charles Bible College, Lake Charles, Louisiana.  While attending Gulf Coast Bible College, he helped start a new congregation for drug addicts, and runaways.  This was a very successful ministry, where many young people were saved and delivered.

Pastor Wright and his wife moved back to their home state of West Virginia and was the pastor for two denominational churches in that state before starting the Maranatha Fellowship in 1976 in a living room of a home.  Maranatha Fellowship has its present facility in St. Albans, West Virginia.

Pastor Wright has preached revivals, marriage seminars and camp meetings throughout the United States and has traveled abroad in many different countries. He has taken 21 tours to Israel and has held crusades in Mexico and Nigeria.  In Nigeria he preached to over 40,000 people.  His travels have also taken him to Germany, Austria, Sweden, Egypt, Italy and India.

Pastor Wright and his wife, Virginia, started a new ministry in February, 1998, called Wright Way Ministries, Inc.  It is a non-profit corporation.  This ministry was formulated to help pastors and congregations to grow and reach more people for Christ.  Pastor Wright travels to help these congregations in revivals, seminars and consultations.