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Multitasker
Pastor serves 2 COGIC churches
By LINDA M. LINONIS
youngstown
Doing double duty, and more, in the ministry and life comes naturally to Superintendent Ross Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church of God in Christ, 3947 Glenwood Ave.
In secular life, he worked for 30 years in middle management for General Motors Delphi Packard Electric Division, retiring in 2008.
In his ministry, he served his first pastorate at Zion COGIC in Toledo. Superintendent Johnson is multi-tasking as pastor of Bethel COGIC and Mount Zion COGIC in Sandusky and he also is district superintendent of the Greater Mahoning Valley District of the Ohio North First Jurisdiction COGIC, overseeing 10 churches, and administrative assistant and director of ministry development.
Superintendent Johnson said his journey began when he was 16 and “was saved during a revival.”
“I accepted the baptism of the Holy Spirit,” he said.
At 17, Superintendent Johnson said he felt compelled to start preaching at his home church, what was Hoyt Street COGIC in Warren. He said he felt pushed out of the choir area by the Lord toward the pulpit.
Superintendent Johnson credited the late Superintendent Nolan Brown of the church with mentoring him. “He asked me, ‘Son, what is the Lord telling you?’” the long-time pastor recalled.
Superintendent Johnson said he told his mentor that he felt called to preach but had doubts. But Superintendent Brown scheduled a trial sermon quickly, and Superintendent Johnson was on his way in the ministry. He assisted Pastor Brown on a regular basis.
Before becoming pastor of Bethel COGIC, he preached there, sent by the Bishop R.S. Fields. His sermon theme was “Your Everlasting Saviour.”
“This is what I’m meant to do,” Superintendent Johnson said of his ministry.
He has been at Bethel COGIC for 17 years and took on the pastorate of Mount Zion COGIC in Sandusky in 2008. Bethel has about 125 members, and Mount Zion has 100. About eight years ago, Bethel relocated from its former location on Ridge Avenue to the church on Glenwood Avenue. “We needed something more compact, he said.
Bethel offers a food distribution once a month on the third Saturday and has a Sunday school, youth ministry and choir.
Superintendent Johnson said the church also promotes its Drive-Through Prayer event. On a Saturday once a month, members stand outside and offer prayers for everyone and anyone. Though its purpose has been prayer, it has yielded a few new members for the church.
The church’s mission statement is “We Build People of Purpose, Power and Praise.”
“We have a different mind-set,” Superintendent Johnson said, noting the church wants to help people become self-sufficient and independent.
“Our major ministry is teaching the word of God,” he said.
The church was responsible for putting red and white signs with the word “believe” around the city. “The believe campaign was about believing in God, in the city and being positive,” he said. “The violence is a direct outcome of the mentality of evil. We have to fight it, not physically, but spiritually.”
Superintendent Johnson said “people of integrity” have the power of positive thoughts and actions. He said the Youngstown/Warren area must stop casting itself in a negative light, and emphasize the many positive aspects of life in the Mahoning Valley.