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I am told that Aunt Elsie once said of those Johnson men, “they don’t know when to stop going to school and they don’t know when to stop buying clothes.” The Johnson men were handsome, educated, God-fearing men who loved their family, served the church, and honored God. Therefore, we honor them on this Father’s Day weekend.
Pictured left to right are Bishop Joseph A. Johnson, Jr., Charles Johnson, Rev. Joseph A. Johnson, Sr., Rev. James T. Johnson, and Rev. Dr. David H. Johnson.
Bishop Joseph A. Johnson, Jr. earned two doctoral degrees and was the first African American to graduate from Vanderbilt University. He was elected the 34th bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church, and he was a noted scholar and theologian. Rev. Joseph A. Johnson Sr. served numerous churches as a CME pastor and presiding elder in Louisiana. Rev. James Johnson followed in his father’s footsteps and also served as a pastor and presiding elder in Louisiana. Rev. Dr. David Johnson was an ordained CME minister and educator who served as president of Texas College, a CME institution.
Patricia Johnson-Powell (who shared the photo), the daughter of Bishop Johnson, described the younger Johnson men as a formidable band of brothers who went to college together, sometimes made mischief together (plenty of funny family stories), and outdid each other looking sharp together. They each cut a fine figure and knew how to command a room personally and professionally. Most importantly, they were instilled by their father, Elder Johnson, with the indispensable necessity of faith, the importance of family, and the power of education to uplift their family, church, and community.
Happy Heavenly Father’s Day to the Johnson men! As the Johnson family prepares for our bi-annual family gathering, we are remembering them fondly, with gratitude for their impact on our lives and their lasting legacy in the CME Church and beyond.