W. Talmadge Johnson: Serving God and Honoring Him

When he accepted his assignment as 33rd general superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene in 2001, Talmadge Johnson said, "I accept your voice today. And I will get on with the business of serving God and honoring Him."

Johnson has never gone back on that promise to his church. In fact, from very early in his life, he's been committed to the Church of the Nazarene. When Johnson was only six years old, he was saved during a Children's Day meeting in Sylacauga, Alabama. Later, he was sanctified at a revival altar in Oklahoma City. He has always carved a path of excellence that time will never erase.

Talmadge Johnson attended Bethany Nazarene College (now Southern Nazarene University) where he was elected student body president for a year. He graduated from college with a determination that set the sails of his ministry—and inspired thousands who have followed his leadership. Johnson said of his graduation, "I left to set the world on fire as an evangelist." With his great sense of humor, he reflects that after setting a few fires, he returned to graduate school because he "needed some more matches."

He graduated with a master's degree in religion from Southern Nazarene University (SNU) and later was awarded an honorary doctorate from both SNU and Trevecca Nazarene University (TNU). Johnson has become a trusted friend and leader—one who is known as much by his goodness as his goals and as much by his purpose as his position. Several characteristics paint the picture of the man who served as pastor, district superintendent, and director of Sunday School Ministries before entering his current role as a general superintendent.

Man of Loyalty and Heritage

"I love my church," Johnson said during his acceptance speech in 2001. And then he added a more important affirmation: "I love my God." Those who have worked alongside him in a general assembly, pastor's study, district office, or Sunday School room know the truth of those statements.

After spending several years as an evangelist, Talmadge Johnston accepted his first pastorate in Elk City, Oklahoma. Following this, he helped found and grow the Western Oaks Church of the Nazarene in Oklahoma City. In 1972, Johnson was elected to serve as president of the Nazarene Young People's Society, a position he held for four years. From 1975 to 1994, he was a loyal district superintendent first in Mississippi and then in Tennessee, changing lives with his teaching, prayer, and encouragement. Johnson's loyalty to his wife, Genell, and to their sons, Jeffrey and Michael, has given leaders an example of how to love family even more than a job. Meanwhile, Johnson also passed on to his sons the heritage of his passion for ministry.

In 1991, Johnson participated in the ordination service when his son Jeffrey was the fourth generation of his family to be ordained as an elder in the Church of the Nazarene. Johnson's grandfather, Earl C. Pounds, and his father, W. T. Johnson, served as district superintendents before him. Now Jeffrey Johnson is senior pastor of Houston First Church of the Nazarene, and Michael Johnson serves as an administrator at TNU. Talmadge Johnson's mother, Helen Johnson, remarked, "It just seems that our family has invested our lives in the Church of the Nazarene."

A Man of Character and Vision

Some say you can judge a person by the way they shake hands. If so, then Talmadge Johnson is a man of strong character, with a handshake hardy enough to squeeze moisture from a rock.

Even greater proof lies in his steadfast refusal to forsake the beliefs of his church, his determination to be a lifelong learner, his acceptance of those forsaken by others, and his fierce competition for souls. These are the qualities of a man destined to live life above the "collars of the crowd." Because of his character, Johnson was elected director of Sunday School Ministries at the age of 57 and then general superintendent at 64. He envisioned new churches and missions internationally, helped widen the perimeters of the Holiness movement, and extended a hand to the helpless in compassionate ministries. Along the way he wept over the lost and rejoiced with the found, as he fulfilled his call to the ministry.

A Man of Generosity

"Talmadge, don't ever be too impressed with your position and always be thankful," Johnson's father advised him. And Talmadge Johnson has naturally taken that counsel to heart.

"In God's mercy I've literally been raised not only in the haven of a family that gave me an incredible heritage but also by preachers, missionaries, and a host of Spirit-filled laymen who have shaped my life."

Talmadge Johnson, we commend you, not just for what you've done, but also for who you are—and will continue to be, until the trumpet sounds.

Stan Toler is senior pastor of Trinity Church of the Nazarene and co-author with Talmadge Johnson of Rediscovering Sunday School.

Holiness Today, May/June 2005

Please note: This article was originally published in 2005. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.