Texas ‘Living Legend’ Bishop John Lewis Johnson to be honored for 60 years as Senior Pastor of Greater Progressive COGIC
Andre Johnson 
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV)
60 SHADES OF GRACE
FORT WORTH, Texas — Bishop John Lewis Johnson.
Clearly, such a name ought to ring a bell, should have by now undoubtedly become a fixture throughout the historic Church of God In Christ, a religious-based organization that is widely regarded as the largest Pentecostal church and the fifth largest Christian church in the country.
To grasp a thorough concept of why Bishop Johnson should have garnered a well-respected, unprecedented presence in the national church at this stage in his ministerial tenure, look no further than his immeasurable, well-publicized track record as one of Texas’ oldest clergymen, who is the Senior Pastor of Greater Progressive Church of God In Christ in Fort Worth.
To his distinctly unique credit, Bishop Johnson’s pastoral career is nearing an unprecedented six decades, an awe-inspiring, unfathomable feat that will be commemorated during his 60th Pastoral celebration on Friday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m. CST at Dayspring Family Church, located at 618 North Belt Lane Road in nearby Irving.
MORE ON GREATER PROGRESSIVE COGIC: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Greater-Progressive-Church-of-God-In-Christ/108099512564454
A gallery that will be comprised of his membership, colleagues, family members, and a host of well-wishers will collectively engage in a celebratory praise and worship service, during which they will pay homage to 93-year-old Bishop Johnson, who has been the face of Greater Progressive COGIC dating back to May 23, 1959.
The service will be highlighted by a featured speaker, Superintendent Melton R. Timmons, the Senior Pastor of Jones Valley Community COGIC in Tyler, Texas.
Timmons serves as Secretary for COGIC’s National Board of Trustees.
THE CHURCH’S HIGHEST OFFICE
All things considered, Bishop Johnson has surely earned the right to be celebrated for his exceptional body of work as one of God’s beloved spokesperson, one who has evolved as a beacon of light in his own right, particularly in the national church.
Having sold out completely to God on February 15, 1949 at the tender age of 23, it was within the walls of the very historic church he pastors that he surrendered his life to Christ.
A little more than a year later — April 26, 1950, to be technical — Bishop Johnson had graciously accepted his divine calling to preach the Gospel.
To his credit, he’s been on God’s battlefield ever since, considering his ministerial resume includes having served under the leadership of the late Elder D.C. Littlefield, during which he was the Greater Progressive COGIC’s Assistant Pastor for just shy of a decade.
Interestingly, Bishop Johnson was officially ordained as an Elder in 1959, a milestone that had ultimately given way to his ceremoniously appointment by the late Bishop F. L. Haynes as Senior Pastor of Greater Progressive on May 23, 1959 (he was installed by the late Bishop D. L. Smith).
Following a notable presence in the Texas Northeast First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction — a stint that included having assumed roles as trustee and chairman of the Board of Superintendents, as well as a Program Planning Committee member — Bishop Johnson was promoted to Administrative Assistant to the Office of the Bishop on December 29, 1992. Consequently, he was consecrated as an Auxiliary Bishop by Presiding Bishop Charles Edward Blake Sr. during COGIC’s 109th National Holy Convocation on November 13, 2016.
Years before assuming his heavenly promotion to the highest office in the church, Bishop Johnson was the beneficiary of an honorary doctorate by Dallas’ Paul Quinn College on October 17, 1990.
Three years later, he was recognized by a host of delegates in the Fort Worth Community when he was deemed a “Living Legend.”
Bishop Johnson is the former husband to the late Mother Alma Katherine Johnson, a union that lasted 65 years before her demise.
Labeled a “gospel giant” by his peers and colleagues, Bishop Johnson’s unparalleled preaching tenure spans nearly seven decades, a stint that’s also accompanied by 49 years as a District Superintendent and 44 years as a Jurisdictional Administrative Assistant.
WELL DONE
A pastoral career that will reach 60 years as of May 23, Bishop Johnson currently serves as a Senior Advisor to Texas Northeast First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Prelate, Bishop J.E. Hornsby.
Clearly, such a name ought to ring a bell, should have undoubtedly become a fixture throughout the historic Church of God In Christ.
For 60 years…and counting.
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Andre Johnson is the award-winning Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former staff reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send email to andre@makingheadlinenews.com or to memphisgraduate@yahoo.com. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.
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