The Rev. Dr. Aidsand F. Wright-Riggins, III is an ordained American Baptist Churches USA clergy person with forty-five years of experience as a pastor, professor, activist, denominational executive and public servant. Currently, he serves as Mayor of Collegeville PA, Acting Executive Director of the New Baptist Covenant and Executive Director Emeritus of the American Baptist home Mission Societies.
Elected on November 7, 2017 he is the first African American and the first Democrat ever elected to this office. As mayor, he has launched initiatives which convene and connect people across boundaries leading to greater dialog and understanding. He regularly partners with the academic, business, religious and not-for-profit sectors towards these ends.
Concurrently, Wright-Riggins serves as Executive Director of the New Baptist Covenant, a national multi denominational movement founded by President Jimmy Carter in 2008 devoted to racial justice and bridging theological and geographical divides.
Wright-Riggins serves on the Board of Directors with the Morehouse School of Religion and the interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, GA; the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in New York and the Kaleidoscope Institute in Los Angeles.
Wright-Riggins earned his Doctor of Ministry in Family Systems Theory and Organizational Development from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. He holds a Master of Divinity from the Berkeley School of Theology and a diploma from the Ecumenical Center for Black Church Studies. He earned his B.A. in the Sociology of Comparative Religions from the California State University at Fullerton. Aidsand Wright-Riggins was further awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters from Benedict College and Doctor of Divinity degrees from Alderson-Broaddus College, Ursinus College and the American Baptist Seminary of the West.
The Wright-Riggins is married to the Rev. Betty Wright-Riggins, an American Baptist minister, who serves as a spiritual director and as adjunct professor at Princeton Seminary. Aidsand and Betty have three adult children and are parenting one grandchild. He is active in the Rotary Club of Collegeville and his local church, Bethlehem Baptist Church in Springhouse, PA. He loves historical novels, blues and gospel music.