Two longtime Vestavia Hills pastors announce retirement

After more than 20 years serving their respective churches, Gary Furr and Danny Wood are stepping away this year, with the former retiring from Vestavia Hills Baptist Church and the latter from Shades Mountain Baptist Church.

Furr retired Feb. 28, while Wood will retire in August.

DANNY WOOD

When Wood and his wife, Janice, moved to Mobile in 1983, they built their dream house, Wood said.

“This is where we’ll be forever,” Wood recalled saying at the time.

Six months later, Wood resigned his position with the former South Central Bell company, and moved his family to Fort Worth, Texas, where he attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary after feeling that God was calling him into Christian ministry.

Fourteen years later, Wood returned to Shades Mountain Baptist Church: the church he had once called home, the church in which he had been married and ordained, and the church from which he’ll retire in after more than 20 years as lead pastor.

“He was the best pastor I ever worked with,” said Keith Habermas, who worked with Wood for 14 years as executive pastor at Shades Mountain. “Danny was a great visionary.”

Wood succeeded Charles Carter, who also served as pastor at Shades Mountain for more than 20 years. “Anytime you follow a legend, it’s challenging,” Wood said.

Wood said he learned the necessity of balancing making changes and looking to the future while honoring the church’s past. Coming from a business background helped Wood as he entered the ministry, he said.

“I really had a good understanding of leadership,” he said.

He also had a good understanding of finances and understood how to take risks while also being smart, taking what he called “God-sized steps.” This was especially helpful as the church underwent four capital campaigns, with the entire campus being redone over the years, Wood said. It’s been “pretty satisfying” to see each building renovated or replaced, he said.

Wood said his favorite part of ministry has been the people, including at Shades Mountain.

“It’s a very loving congregation,” he said.

There’s never a concern about whether a need will be met when one arises in the church, and the congregation consistently looks for ways to serve others, Wood said.

In addition, they consistently step out in faith to go on mission trips. In the last 19 years, Shades Mountain has done ministry in 80 countries, 21 time zones and all 50 states and takes 35 trips each year, Wood said. They have planted 15 churches internationally and 38 in North America. It was something the church grew into upon Wood’s arrival. Church members had always given to missions but took a step forward in going on mission trips, Wood said.

“We love to be able to advance the kingdom of God,” he said.

Wood takes pride in how the church has continued to grow in its emphasis on missions. It has become part of the church’s DNA, he said.

Habermas said Wood has a great sense of humor, which is needed in ministry.

“You need humor to get you through situations you encounter,” he said.

Wood is also a man of integrity, Habermas said.

During his time in ministry, Wood said he has learned that he is totally dependent on God.

“If it’s in my earthly power, it’s not going to get done,” he said.

Wood also said he’s had an incredible staff that he believes could run a small country and has a forward-looking attitude.

While he will miss the camaraderie with his fellow staff members, Wood said he’ll still live in the area. He said he chose to retire this year because he’s nearing 70 years old, and he didn’t want to pastor past that age. Knowing the church would have to make long-term changes coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wood said retiring now allows the church to find a pastor who can shepherd the church through those changes and cast a new vision for the church.

The church has hired an executive search firm to assist their pastor search committee, and Wood hopes to have someone hired by mid-summer, though they would not start until August so they could have time to wrap up their ministry at their previous church.

As he steps away, Habermas said Wood leaves a legacy of impacting many lives locally, through counseling, preaching and leadership, as well as impacting the world through missions.

So, what’s next for Wood?

“I will rest, recalibrate,” Wood said of his pending retirement.

After that, Wood said he’ll look forward to the next chapter of his life. “I know I’ll be doing something.”

GARY FURR

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Furr said he saw firsthand the devotion of the people in his congregation at Vestavia Hills Baptist Church.

“We didn’t have to hold up the church,” Furr said. “They wanted to hold up their church.”

It wasn’t a new trend for the church Furr pastored for roughly 27 years. He said the congregation has always been loving.

“We have really enjoyed one another,” he said.

Furr came to the Vestavia Hills Baptist in 1993 following what he called a “strong conflict” over worship, with separate congregations eventually forming away from Vestavia Hills Baptist.

“The church went through a lot of soul searching,” Furr said.

Still, Furr said it was a “great fit” for him to come to the church and said the last 27 years have been wonderful.

Furr was instrumental in Mike McBrayer’s decision to come join the staff of Vestavia Hills Baptist 20 years ago.

“I knew Gary was the kind of minister I wanted to serve under,” said McBrayer, now the administrative pastor.

McBrayer said it has been great to be part of a congregation that has Furr’s pastoral presence.

The church has always been “open-spirited,” Furr said, saying Vestavia Hills Baptist ordains women for ministry and was also one of the first churches to integrate in the 1970s.

Being in the suburbs, Furr said he’s had to learn that people are coming and going all the time, and that is OK. For those who do find themselves living in the city, they’ve found a wonderful community, Furr said.

“People love their school and their community,” Furr said. “People have been the best part of living here.”

McBrayer said Furr has shepherded his congregation through all the ups and downs of life.

“I’ve seen Gary care for our church members in circumstances across the gamut,” McBrayer said.

He’s also helped the church keep the “main thing the main thing,” uniting members around their shared faith in Jesus Christ while allowing for differences of opinion in lesser things, McBrayer said.

Furr was part of the inaugural class of Leadership Vestavia Hills and remains an active member of the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce.

“I have loved the people,” Furr said. “I have loved the sense of family.”

Furr said the most difficult part of ministry is helping those who are in pain, but who may not show it. That’s compounded by the busyness of life.

“So much of people’s lives are outside of the church,” Furr said. “Keeping fellowship is a challenge.”

In his time in ministry, Furr said he has learned that God is at work “vastly beyond” everything of which he is aware, and he’s also learned to be grateful.

“You’re just an instrument God can use for the good of other people,” Furr said.

Furr said he’ll be 67 years old in August and knows it’s time for a younger pastor to take over.

“My mind is still young, but my body is not,” Furr said. “There comes a time you need to move on and let someone else take over.”

Furr said he’s ready to spend more time with his family, but he said he will continue his work with the Alabama Coalition of Healthy Mothers and Children.

Furr said while he may have been the pastor for more than 25 years, it isn’t his church, and that’s reassuring.

“It’s God’s church,” Furr said. “And it will be here long after I’m gone.”