Johnson to be nominated for BGCT first VP

A Texas Baptist minister who has founded a nonprofit Borderlands missions research center will be nominated for first vice president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Ken May, pastor of First Baptist Church in Decatur, has announced his intention to nominate Jeff Johnson at the BGCT annual meeting in Amarillo, Oct. 24-26.

Jeff Johnson

"For the past four years, I have had the privilege of serving on the (BGCT) Executive Board and have come to know Jeff Johnson as a coworker and friend," May said. "I have found Dr. Johnson to be highly intelligent and yet very personable, well-organized, strategic and also hard-working, wise as well as very courageous for the cause of Christ, visionary and practical in the application and expansion of the kingdom along the border of Texas.

"He is passionate about our Lord, cooperative and a mainstream Texas Baptist. It is because of these qualities and his commitment to Texas Baptists that I plan to nominate him at our annual convention."

During Johnson's time as pastor of First Baptist Church in Del Rio, average weekly worship attendance grew from 80 to about 300. The church also launched two mission congregations and an extensive program to fight hunger in Del Rio and surrounding colonias by providing meals for about 900 people a month.

Previously, Johnson had served as pastor of Texas Baptist churches in Bonham, Sherman and Ivanhoe. He also served on staff at Baptist University of the Américas.

He founded the Center for Borderland Missional Research, Education and Outreach , a nonprofit organization devoted to contextual missions along the United States/Mexico border.

Johnson noted he did not seek out nomination for office, and he initially rejected the idea when first approached about it three years ago, saying, "The time just wasn't right." After being asked again and praying about the matter, Johnson said he agreed to allow his nomination this year.

"I've never been the pastor of a large church, but I have been involved in Texas Baptist institutional life, been a bivocational pastor, served a county-seat church and served in different parts of the state," he said.

"I believe I understand something about the cross-cultural challenges our state faces, and I have strong relationships with people across the broad spectrum of Texas Baptists."

Johnson noted he has not been a part of any political organization in Baptist life, and if elected, he will pursue no agenda other than promoting prayer, unity, relationship building and support for whomever the BGCT Executive Board selects as its new executive director.

"I would hope whoever the new officers are will help the new executive director be successful," he said. "The first year in any place of service is foundational, and I would want to help the person in the executive director's position succeed and to lay the foundation for the kind of long-term stability I think is needed there."

Johnson's denominational involvement has included service on the BGCT Executive Board, the BGCT Committee on Committees, the Texas Baptist Border Violence Committee, the Hispanic Baptist Convention/BGCT Unification Committee and the board of trustees for Baptist Child & Family Services.

A native of Mississippi, Johnson earned an undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University. He earned a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctor of ministry degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

He and his wife, Molly, have three adult daughters—Lori, Sara and Julie.