Life & Work with Dr. Lathan Wood of North Carolina

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Lathan Wood.

Hi Dr. Lathan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m a preacher’s kid, a pew baby, and the middle child. My dad is a former pastor, and my mom is an ordained minister. “Pew baby” means I’ve been in church as long as I can remember. I grew up in the suburbs of DeKalb County, Georgia, where music, people, faith, and a little strong personality all came with the territory.

Music has been a significant part of my journey, from marching band and jazz band throughout high school to twenty-five years serving as a minister of music in Atlanta. That includes a decade directing and leading a traveling gospel choir for Georgia State University. Along the way, I’ve written and produced more than fifteen albums and worked with some incredibly gifted people. Those experiences taught me a lot about leadership, preparation, and bringing different personalities together to accomplish something meaningful.

I started preaching at fourteen, so I now have more than thirty years in ministry and leadership. I’ve served as a senior pastor for the past fourteen years, and my work has grown to include preaching, teaching, academic publishing, business, and real estate. I’ve also spent nearly ten years flipping properties and working as a landlord.

My education reflects those interests, with studies in music, degrees in business management and business administration, and a doctorate in theology. I’m still amazed that the kid who almost didn’t graduate on time in 1996, which is a long story, went on to earn his doctorate. That’s a God-kissed testimony.

Today, I serve as Bishop and Founder of The Movement Centre in Gastonia, North Carolina, and as Regent of Adullam Bible College. I’m a musician, a creator, a real estate owner, a pastor, and an extrovert who loves people. I enjoy seeing potential in a person, a property, or an idea and helping develop it.

I’m grateful to have been married for twenty-three years to the same woman. That’s an inside joke. Hi, Kelli! I think our new love language is being cantankerous. We’re great friends, and that friendship, along with a lot of laughter, has brought us through. I love our two sons, Lathan II and Kaiden, with all my heart. We’re blessed with good kids: student athletes with excellent grades, bougie taste in clothes, and ferocious cereal appetites.

I could also be described as an alpha male surrounded by bossy administrative women I cannot live or function without. They will probably read this and say they deserve more credit. They’re probably right.

That’s how I got here: faith, work, relationships, some necessary correction, and a great deal of favor. Our mandate at The Movement Centre is “Love Jesus, Do Kingdom, and Be Gifted.” That captures much of what I want my life to represent.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth is relative to the journeyman. I can’t paint a sad portrait of everything I’ve considered a hardship when, compared with what so many martyrs and survivors have endured, I’ve lived a great life. I’m grateful for that.

But I’ve certainly had challenges. I’ve experienced financial hardships, setbacks, and the frustration of having a vision that my resources couldn’t yet support. There have been times when I’ve had to regroup, reconsider a decision, and work through the consequences.

One of my personal struggles has been learning to speak up for myself. That may sound strange coming from someone who preaches, teaches, and is comfortable in front of people. But speaking publicly and expressing what you need personally are two different things. I’ve had to grow in that area.

I’ve also had to confront habits and self-sabotaging tendencies that I’ve seen repeat generationally. Recognizing a pattern in your family is one thing. Acknowledging where it shows up in your own choices requires another level of honesty. I’m still doing that work.

Most of my challenges have been very human: money, decisions, habits, and learning how to handle myself. Faith has helped me through them, and so have people who love me enough to tell me the truth.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I teach, I preach, I negotiate business deals, and I build. Depending on the day, that can mean developing a leader, working on an academic book, evaluating a property, or helping turn an idea into something people can actually use.

As Bishop and Founder of The Movement Centre in Gastonia, my work centers on helping people understand Scripture, discover their gifts, and take responsibility for their purpose. I love teaching. I enjoy taking something that feels complicated or distant and making it understandable enough for someone to apply to everyday life.

As Regent and a professor at Adullam Bible College, I’m involved in preparing students for ministry and leadership. My academic work includes biblical studies, theology, church history, and homiletics, which is the study and practice of preaching. I want students to ask better questions, study carefully, and communicate what they believe with clarity.

One accomplishment I’m especially proud of is helping bring ten academic books to publication through my writing and collaborative work. Those projects include The Keys of Irenaeus, Seymour’s Shoebox, Ashes of Wycliffe, and Apollos in Achaia. It means a great deal to put years of teaching and study into resources that students and instructors can continue using.

Our community work is also close to my heart. Through Movement Community Life Concepts and the people who lead and serve alongside us, that work includes the Feed My Lambs Food Pantry, the Rapha Urban Community Garden, and Ignite Summer Camp. These efforts give us practical ways to support families through food access, education, creativity, and opportunities for young people.

Business and real estate are another part of my life. I enjoy negotiating, recognizing possibilities, and figuring out what it will take to build something useful and sustainable. My business background informs how I approach ministry, education, and property ownership.

As for what sets me apart, I don’t have an elaborate answer. I’m a normal guy with unusual favor. I have several interests, I love people, and I’m willing to work. I’ve also been blessed with gifted people who bring expertise, challenge my thinking, and help carry the work. Anything I’m proud of has their fingerprints on it, too.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
The Bible is first. It’s the book I return to for my own life and the foundation of my teaching and preaching. There is always more to study, question, and understand.

BibleHub.com is one of my regular study resources. I use it to compare translations, explore words, and work through passages as I prepare to teach.

YouTube is another favorite because I’m curious about a lot of things. Music, ministry, business, real estate, construction: I can usually find someone explaining or demonstrating something I want to understand better.

I also follow the news through the app on my phone and keep up with The Bulwark for news and commentary. Staying aware of current events matters to me. I work with people, and what is happening in the world affects their families, finances, decisions, and concerns. I want to be informed enough to have a meaningful conversation.

Pricing:

• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HB36TGQW?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tkin
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HBKYX5MN?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tkin
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HHJVW5ZD?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tkin
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HKNVQBSH?binding=hardcover&searchxofy=true&ref_=dbs_s_aps_series_rwt_thcv&qid=1790097865&sr=8-6

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lathan_wood
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lathan.wood
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@movementcentre
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0HBL1FGZB