Published: April 24, 2008 07:08 pm      

Religion: Jennifer Johnson

ASHLAND — Upon moving to Ashland from Okalona, Miss., in July of 2006, Jennifer Johnson said the doors of opportunity that led to her being named associate pastor for children’s and family ministries at First Presbyterian Church began opening in such a way that “I knew it had to be a God-thing. This is something that God intended for me to do.”

On the first Sunday she and her husband attended First Presbyterian, Richard Smith, who recently stepped down as the church senior pastor and who Johnson had met previously, asked her if she was looking for a call. When she said she was, Smith said, “We might have something coming up for you.”

It didn’t happen immediately, but 10 months later — in May of 2007 — Johnson was named to the newly created part-time position of associate pastor.

“So many things started falling into place at just the right time, that I know it had to be providence,” said Johnson, 37. “I love this church and I love the people. It is a hard-working church that takes its mission seriously. It is my dream job.”

Prior to coming to Ashland, Johnson, who holds a master of divinity degree from Columbia Seminary in Decatur, Ga., was pastor of two churches in Mississippi. She also worked with the campus ministry at Old Miss for a decade.

Johnson grew up in Montgomery, Ala. While her parents did not attend church, she began attending Westminster Presbyterian Church near her home as a small child.

“That church really nurtured me,” she said. “I was baptized there at 12 and the church continued to help me grow spiritually. I met my husband in that church and we were married in the church. The church sponsored me when I entered the ministry. Needless to say, it has played a significant role in my life.”

Her parents, however, have not joined the church. While they came to programs at church in which she was a part, her dad grew up in the Pentecostal church and her mother was a Southern Baptist and they were never comfortable in the Presbyterian church.

However, she said her parents “have been very supportive of what I am and my call to the ministry. I think they are very proud of me.”

Johnson, whose husband teaches math and pre-engineering at Ashland Community and Technical College, said she is excited about what is happening in the church and in the community as a whole. After being a pastor for a number of years, she said she prefers being an associate pastors because it relieves her of some of the responsibilities of a pastor and allows her to concentrate on her particular mission. Under the rules of the Presbyterian church, she is barred from replacing Smith as senior pastor.

First Presbyterian member Lisa Stevens called Johnson “a great person. She is so enthusiastic and has a lot of good ideas. She is really working to get the children and young adults more involved and active in the church. We love her.”

Working with young adults has been “kind of slow progress,” Stevens said, but Johnson has tried different ideas like offering some dinners and movies for young marrieds and some parents nights out where the church takes care of the children while the parents go out.”

“It’s coming around,” Stevens said. “Jennifer has definitely been an asset to our church.”

Andrew Potter, one of the church’s youth leaders, agrees. He said that during Johnson’s year at First Presbyterian, the church “has built up a fairly strong youth program and is looking forward to seeing it continue to grow. She has been a wonderful guide for us youth leaders and made sure we always have what we need to work with the youth.”

First Presbyterian has been an avid supporter of The Neighborhood, the former Johnson’s Dairy building on Carter Avenue that already is the home of CAReS and River Cities Harvest and will eventually become the home of the Community Kitchen, the Dressing Room and Ashland Area Presbyterian Ministries.

“I think it is wonderful that this community has a vision for The Neighborhood and is working together to make it happen,” Johnson said. “I am so excited to be a part of that vision.”

Johnson’s long-range plan is to always be doing what God calls her to do. “Right now, he has called me to First Presbyterian and I am doing my best to answer that call.”

JOHN CANNON can be reached at jcannon@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2649.