Founders

Growing up in Montreat, North Carolina, Jim began preaching at age fifteen. After graduating from Gordon College in Massachusetts, Jim married Susan McDonald of Shreveport, Louisiana. They started married life at French Camp Academy in Mississippi, where they were house parents and teachers for two years. From French Camp, Jim returned to New England and attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary where he earned an M.A. in Church History.

After pastoring in New England for five years, Jim was called as senior pastor of Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Sandy Springs, Georgia. He served there for six years. During that time Pastor Wood was instrumental in developing a network of relationships among pastors of various denominations who covenanted to pray for one another, encourage one another, and hold one another accountable. He was also a leader in efforts to defend the sanctity of human life and helped reverse the policy of his own denomination’s ethics agency regarding abortion.

In 1991, Jim, Susan, and their three sons left Mount Vernon to fulfill a vision for which they had prayed for over twenty years. In the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, they established Wears Valley Ranch to provide Christian homes, education, and counseling for children from difficult family situations.

Having served as Executive Director of Wears Valley Ranch for nearly 30 years, Jim retired from this capacity in December 2020. He remains as the Ranch’s Founder, continuing his ministry of teaching and preaching at the Ranch, on radio and elsewhere, and ministering to the Ranch’s donors and friends. Jim’s radio program, “Abiding in Christ” airs weekdays on SiriusXM channel 131. Jim and his wife Susan have authored several books and are much in demand to lead seminars on marriage and parenting. Jim also serves as Senior Pastor of Covenant Community Church of Wears Valley in Sevier County, Tennessee.

“God has assembled an outstanding team of committed individuals to serve the complex needs of the children at Wears Valley Ranch. Most of these individuals wear more than one hat and thus appear multiple times in this section. Many team members are either unpaid volunteers, or raise their own support outside of the Ranch’s budget. We are grateful for each of them and the impact they make in showing Jesus’ love to the children.” -Jim and Susan Wood

To contact Jim Wood, please visit PastorWood.org