ATLANTA – Dr. Alan Culpepper, dean of the James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology of Mercer University, announced today that the Rev. Charles Foster Johnson will serve a one-year appointment as visiting instructor of preaching at McAfee, effective July 1. Johnson has served the past five years as senior pastor of Trinity Baptist Church of San Antonio, Texas, one of the city’s largest churches, with a congregational membership of nearly 6,000.
“We are fortunate to have Charlie Johnson join our faculty,” said Culpepper. “He is one of the most prophetic Baptist voices of our time, and his commitment to the church and his passion for preaching are contagious. He will be an outstanding teacher of preaching.”
Johnson has ministered to Baptists across the Southeast for the past 30 years. He grew up in Alabama, attended Mississippi College, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in political science, and earned a master of divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. After being in ministerial position for five years, he was ordained by the First Baptist Church of Pontotoc, Miss., in 1980, where he served as minister of youth.
From 1981 to 1986, he was pastor of West Point Baptist Church of Centertown, Ky., and then moved to Albany, Ky., to be pastor of First Baptist Church for three years. In 1989, he was called to serve as senior pastor of Second Baptist Church of Lubbock, Texas, until his move to San Antonio in 2001.
In 2005, he was named one of the “Baptists of the Year” by the Baptist Center for Ethics. A national leader in Baptist life, he is active in denominational organizations, including Alliance for Baptists, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, Baptists for Scouting, Baptist World Alliance General Council, the Advisory Council of Baptist University of the Americas, and Baptists Committed.
Involved in the San Antonio community, he has served on the Mayor’s Committee on Integrity and Trust in Local Government, and the board of directors of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and the Boy Scouts of America, Alamo Area Council.
His writings have been published in Baptist Peacemaker, Baptist Standard, Christian Century, Baptists Today, The Call and Southwest Digest, among others.
He and his wife, the former Jana Powers McCormick of Lubbock, Texas, have three children: Chad, Cliff and Chris Anne.
About Mercer University: Founded in 1833, Mercer University is a comprehensive center of undergraduate, graduate and professional education. The University has 7,300 students; 11 schools and colleges – liberal arts, law, pharmacy, medicine, business, engineering, education, theology, music, nursing and continuing and professional studies; major campuses in Macon and Atlanta; four regional academic centers across Georgia; a university press; teaching hospitals in Macon and Savannah; an educational partnership with Robins Air Logistics Center in Warner Robins; an engineering research center in Warner Robins; and a NCAA Division I athletic program. For more information, visit www.mercer.edu.
