Bishop SC Johnson

[Zander]

Bishop Sherrod C. Johnson (1899-1961) was a dynamic African-American Oneness Pentecostal leader. He was born and raised in North Carolina and had a harsh life. Later he moved to Phildelphia that he heard of the water baptism in Jesus name and the pentecostal baptism of the Holy Spirit. He began his ministry in 1919, and soon aligned himself with Bishop R.C. Lawson's Refuge Church of Christ of the Apostolic Faith in Harlem, NY. It was in 1920 that Lawson sent Johnson to pastor the Phildelphia Church of Christ. Lawson appointed Johnson bishop over the states of Pennsylvania and North Carolina in 1930. It was in 1931 that Lawson incorporated his church as the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith (COOLJC) in 1931 and Johnson was one of the incorporators. It was in 1933 that Johnson withdrew from the COOLJC and founded the Church of The Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith (COTLJC), with his Phildelphian church being its headquarters. He was very evangelistic and his church grew to be inter-racial, through his many debates, gospel tours and radio network. At one time his Phildelphian church was one of the the largest Oneness churches in the United States. In the July 1949 issue of Ebony magazine he was listed as one of the most widely listened too, African-American preachers in the U.S. Johnson died during an evangelistic tour in Kingston, Jamaica, W.I. His denomination is still in existence today and is currently headed by Bishop Omega Shelton. Denominations that were birth through his ministry include the Holy Temple Church (Bishop R. Goodwin) and the Church in the Lord Jesus Christ (Bishop L. Hunter).

[Zander]

Note that Bishop Johnson's fundamental teachings were that of his spiritual father Bishop Robert Clarence Lawson (1883- 1961). Bishop Lawson, then Elder Lawson resigned from the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW). Lawson differed with PAW over "divorce and remarriage" and "women preachers." Lawson also taught the sisters are to cover their heads when in prayers, therefore his women were noted has to wearing hats to church and adorning themselves in modest apparel. The current leader of Lawson's denomination is Bishop William Lee Bonner.

Originally Posted by Scott Hutchinson

You rang happy to be of service.
http://theholytemplechurch.org/21burningsubjects.htm

Love his understand of women preachers as well as Divorce & Remarriage

Originally Posted by warrior

We can't be saved through works. The fact that we introduced so many to Christ doesn't merit us the kingdom either. Our life and nothing more is what says if we will go back with Jesus when he comes.

aaahh the truth in PART..... you wont be saved through works but you will receive rewards by works

[Zander]

Lawson differed with PAW over "divorce and remarriage" and "women preachers."

Lawson taught if one was divorce that they could not remarry unless the former spoused died. [see the Discipline Book of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith] His doctrine in this matter is identical to that taught by the late William J. Seymour (1870-1922), Azusa Street Mission [see Martin,Larry (ed), The Doctrine & Discipline of the Azusa Street Apostolic Faith Mission]. G.T. Haywood (1880-1931), Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, at one time held to this view, but later changed his views. Lawson's view on divorce & remarriage became one of the fundamental tenets of his church and it is currently still the official view of the denomination. It current leader, Bishop William L. Bonner (1921- ), differs with Lawson's stand on this issue and has allowed those who have been divorce & remarried to function in his church (see Doctrinal Guide Solomon's Temple, The Second Opinion).

Originally Posted by freeatlast

I did say he was lost, but that he would give an accountinig for his error.

We so liberally give a free pass to our "One God brother"....just preach oneness and you can make up all the phony holiness rules that we have ever devised, even claim you've got scripture to back em up.
AND GOD will just wink at your ignorance.

But let a preacher be right on about eveything in the book, but let's say he say's in baptism, I baptize you in the F S and HG which is Jesus Christ and "we " call him lost.

Let him say three personallites and he's going to hell..while "we" say three offfices and we are OK.

Our inconsistency is laughable.

Now with that, God bless the "Bishop" SC Johnson

and what about if you have any errors?

[martha]

Originally Posted by warrior

Everyone here seems to be well educated in the UPCI. I was wondering has anyone heard of Bishop SC Johnson and his apostolic teachings. He is considered one the main pioneers among apostolics in the African American community. If you know about him and his teachings, please share what you know. I am sure Bro. Sam knows about this gentleman. We have discussed him before.

Yes, he is well versed in apostolic history.

Yes, I know of Bishop S. C. Johnson of 22nd Bainbridge St. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My family was members in his church. Bishop Johnson was a very kind man, although to hear him preach you wouldn't have thought it. He was gentle with his small congregations by whom is was greatly revered. It was by radio broadcast they the congregations across the country was held together. People went to church and listened to "the broadcast" on Sundays. The churches were honored with his presence occasionally. I was just a teenager when he died in 1961 in Kingston, Jamaica. His teaching was One Lord, One Faith, One baptism; Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, tarrying for the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in tongues and continuing in the apostles' doctrine. Bishop S.M. Shelton took his place as bishop after his death, during which time there was great turmoil in the church with part of the members braking off from that congregation and forming other churches. There's one of his churches somewhere in New York that one of his original members in my state of kentucky attends whenever she can. She's 76 years old. The rest of the time she listens to tapes of Bishop Johnson's sermons at home. She holds church service alone, in her home and has hundreds of Bishop Johnson's sermons. She is a faithful member to his bishopric even to this day. Bishop Johnson was truly a man of God.

[martha]

Originally Posted by Rico

Someone posted some links to be able to hear some of his preaching, debates, or something like that, over on GNC. I wasn't very impressed. He ministered during the height of what I am referring to as the "Dictator Era" of the apostolic church.

[U]I wish he would have trained men to follow him and take over his works but his lack of foresight left his works to be scattered and much of it destroyed.

A2kylm: Bishop Johnson always said that the whole world must obey HIS gospel because he preached it just like they did on the day of pentecost. He never envisioned the coming of the internet where his sermons can be heard around the world and ordered on True world apolostic ministries of America site under Elder Walker out of Titusville, Florida. Yes, he said he was an apostle because everything he learned from the scriptures was revealed to him by God. And I have to say that HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT CONCERNING THE SCRIPTURE. Now I don't know if I would call it lack of foresight that he hadn't prepared anyone to take his place before he died. The man listened to God and I believe it was God's will that he not prepare anyone. God has His own way of doing things and it's not for us to say what God should have done. To this day, there are, here and there, those who have church in their homes, listen to Bishop Johnson's tapes and continue just as they did when he was alive. To be sure there's not many but there are some. And I know there's a church in New York and very likely other places that still follow bishop Johnson.



His announcer (Elder Selby) would say " Now I present to you the world's foremost authority and interpeter of the Divine Word of God the last day Apostle now the next voice you hear will be that of Bishop S. C. Johnson hear ye him."

[Sam]

I used to listen to him on the radio.
I remember Bishop S. McDowll Shelton also.
There used to be one of their churches here in Cincinnati.
I don't know if it's still active or not.
One day I called to see about the services.
I spoke with a woman there and she told me that they had no live preaching.
She said, "Some times we listen to Bishop Johnson and some times we listen to Bishop Shelton."

I've lost track of the different factions and groups that claim to be his true successors.

[martha]

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

The debate with Rudd at Houston was one of the funniest things I ever heard in my life. There was little or no order not educational mind you but FUNNY.
Mr. Rudd Jesus said you ought to wash ine another's feet and you say don't wash feet who lied??????????????
At the end of every service(Bishop Johnson had rented the hall) he would ask if anyone wanted to be baptized and baptized folks every service that must had galled those Campbellites. At the end of each discussion the Bishop would declare he had won that was so funny.

a2kylm: Bishop Johnson had RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION for what he called FALSE PROPHETS. He spared no one who came up against him in those debates because he saw HEAVEN AND HELL/SALVATION AND LOSS OF SALVATION in the Gospel being preached to the people. He was very passionate about it but also very blunt. HE WASN'T PLAYIN' AND,YES, HE HAD TRULY WON. AND HE WOULD SOMETIMES SAY, "NOW, DO YOU WANT TO TURN YOUR CONGREGATION OVER TO ME, AFTER HE HAD WON?"