Stephen W. Wood
Encyclopedia
Stephen Wray Wood served as a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly
representing the state's sixty-first House district, including constituents in Guilford
county. Wood served eight terms in the State House from 1984–2005. Before election to the NC House he served as
Professor of History and Education and Assistant Academic Dean at John Wesley College,
High Point, North Carolina
. He has served as a minister in Quaker (Friends) and United Methodist
Churches for 35 years.
Wood was elected as Speaker Pro Tem of the North Carolina House in 1997–1999, the second Republican elected to that post during the 20th century. He became the first Republican Chairman of the House Education Committee in 1995, leading the legislature to establish landmark Charter School
legislation and cut the size of the State Department of Public Instruction bureaucracy nearly by half.
He was selected a member of the Oxford International Roundtable on Education convened at Oxford University in 1999. In 1992, Governor Jim Martin
presented Wood the Order of the Longleaf Pine, the highest civilian award given by the state of North Carolina.
Wood is a US Army veteran, (1970–1971), served as a Veterans Service Officer for the State of North Carolina Division of Veterans Affairs, (1987–1989), as Vice-Chairman of the Guilford County Republican Party, (1980–1984), and on the North Carolina Republican Party Executive Committee, (1984–present). He was the Republican candidate for Mayor of High Point in 2005.
President George W. Bush appointed Wood to serve on the Selective Service Commission in 2001.
Earned degrees include a BA in History/Religion, Asbury College
(Wilmore, Kentucky); Th.B in Bible/Theology, John Wesley College (High Point, NC); MA in History, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
; M.Div., Houston Graduate School of Theology
(Houston, Texas); and D.Min from Luther Rice University
(Atlanta, Georgia). He is a member of the academic Phi Alpha Theta
International Historical Fraternity.
Dr. Wood is a singer, songwriter, recording artist, public speaker and performer. His songs include, "I'm On My Way to Heaven," recorded by the Dixie Melody Boys
gospel music group. Recording credits include "Love and Devotion", with the Barney Pierce Family; "Travelin Troubadour"; "Titusoverture" (QCA Records).
Acting/theater/performing experience includes an 'extra' in the George Clooney
movie, Leatherheads
(May 2007); the role of Burl Sanders in the gospel music comedy, Smoke on the Mountain
, produced by the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, (September 2007); an 'extra' in stock car racing film, Red Dirt Rising (November 2007); role of Ralph Levering in This Tender Place, Cherry Orchard Theater, Cana, VA, (August 2008).
Academic research and writing include book reviews and articles in Quaker Life magazine, the Voice of Evangelical Methodism, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and biographical entries in the Dictionary of North Carolina Biography.
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
representing the state's sixty-first House district, including constituents in Guilford
Guilford County, North Carolina
Guilford County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In 2010, the Census Bureau estimated the county's population to be 491,230. Its seat is Greensboro. Since 1938, an additional county court has been located in High Point, North Carolina, making Guilford one of only a handful...
county. Wood served eight terms in the State House from 1984–2005. Before election to the NC House he served as
Professor of History and Education and Assistant Academic Dean at John Wesley College,
High Point, North Carolina
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
. He has served as a minister in Quaker (Friends) and United Methodist
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
Churches for 35 years.
Wood was elected as Speaker Pro Tem of the North Carolina House in 1997–1999, the second Republican elected to that post during the 20th century. He became the first Republican Chairman of the House Education Committee in 1995, leading the legislature to establish landmark Charter School
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
legislation and cut the size of the State Department of Public Instruction bureaucracy nearly by half.
He was selected a member of the Oxford International Roundtable on Education convened at Oxford University in 1999. In 1992, Governor Jim Martin
James G. Martin
James Grubbs "Jim" Martin is the 70th Governor of the state of North Carolina. He served from 1985 to 1993. He was the second Republican elected to the office after Reconstruction, and the fifth overall. He is also the only Republican to serve two full terms as governor.-Early Life &...
presented Wood the Order of the Longleaf Pine, the highest civilian award given by the state of North Carolina.
Wood is a US Army veteran, (1970–1971), served as a Veterans Service Officer for the State of North Carolina Division of Veterans Affairs, (1987–1989), as Vice-Chairman of the Guilford County Republican Party, (1980–1984), and on the North Carolina Republican Party Executive Committee, (1984–present). He was the Republican candidate for Mayor of High Point in 2005.
President George W. Bush appointed Wood to serve on the Selective Service Commission in 2001.
Earned degrees include a BA in History/Religion, Asbury College
Asbury College
Asbury University, formerly Asbury College, is a Christian liberal arts institution located in Wilmore, Kentucky. Although it is a nondenominational school, the college's foundation stems from a Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. The school offers 50 majors across 17 departments. Primarily a four-year...
(Wilmore, Kentucky); Th.B in Bible/Theology, John Wesley College (High Point, NC); MA in History, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro , also known as UNC Greensboro, is a public university in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States and is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina system. The university offers more than 100 undergraduate, 61 master's and 26...
; M.Div., Houston Graduate School of Theology
Houston Graduate School of Theology
Houston Graduate School of Theology or HGST is an independent, evangelical, multicultural, and ecumenical seminary, training students from more than 30 denominational traditions...
(Houston, Texas); and D.Min from Luther Rice University
Luther Rice University
Luther Rice Seminary & University is a private Christian college and seminary in Lithonia, Georgia, part of Metro Atlanta. The school was founded in 1962 by Robert Gee Witty in Jacksonville, Florida. It has an enrollment of about 1,600 students...
(Atlanta, Georgia). He is a member of the academic Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta is an American honor society for undergraduate and graduate students and professors of history.The society is a charter member of the Association of College Honor Societies and has over 350,000 members, with about 9,500 new members joining each year through 860 local chapters.-...
International Historical Fraternity.
Dr. Wood is a singer, songwriter, recording artist, public speaker and performer. His songs include, "I'm On My Way to Heaven," recorded by the Dixie Melody Boys
Dixie Melody Boys
The Dixie Melody Boys are an American Southern Gospel quartet from Kinston, North Carolina. They have been active for over 45 years.The group was founded in 1960 by Avis Adkins; Ed O'Neal, their bass singer, joined in 1961, and subsequently became the group's leader and manager...
gospel music group. Recording credits include "Love and Devotion", with the Barney Pierce Family; "Travelin Troubadour"; "Titusoverture" (QCA Records).
Acting/theater/performing experience includes an 'extra' in the George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
movie, Leatherheads
Leatherheads
Leatherheads is a 2008 American sports comedy film from Universal Pictures directed by and starring George Clooney. The film also stars Renée Zellweger, Jonathan Pryce and John Krasinski and focuses on the early years of professional American football....
(May 2007); the role of Burl Sanders in the gospel music comedy, Smoke on the Mountain
Smoke On The Mountain
Smoke on the Mountain is an Off-Broadway musical that was written by Alan Bailey and Connie Ray. It was originally workshopped at the McCarter Theatre in 1988, given a full staging at the McCarter in 1990, and was subsequently moved by the McCarter to Lamb's Theatre in New York City, New York in...
, produced by the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, (September 2007); an 'extra' in stock car racing film, Red Dirt Rising (November 2007); role of Ralph Levering in This Tender Place, Cherry Orchard Theater, Cana, VA, (August 2008).
Academic research and writing include book reviews and articles in Quaker Life magazine, the Voice of Evangelical Methodism, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and biographical entries in the Dictionary of North Carolina Biography.