Terry Wade Johnson, 90, of Locust Grove, passed away Feb. 5. He was a longtime Arkansas pastor and evangelist who served in many BMA churches and ministries.
Johnson graduated from Humes High School in Memphis, Tenn., in 1953. He was saved during an evening service at Springdale Baptist Church on Sept. 7, 1953. Within days of his salvation, he enrolled at Central Baptist College in Conway.
On April 21, 1954, at Antioch Baptist Church in Conway, he surrendered to preach. One week later, he delivered his first sermon at his home church in Memphis, beginning a ministry that would span more than 70 years.
Johnson attended CBC from 1953 to 1955 and later returned to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible in 1965. In recognition of his faithful ministry, Heritage Baptist University in Akron, Ohio, conferred an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree on him in 1983.
Throughout his ministry, Johnson pastored many churches in Arkansas and also served as both local and state association missionary. In his early ministry years, he wrote a weekly Baptist Training Service and a youth activities column for the Baptist Trumpet and worked closely with State Missions.
His first pastorate was at Harrison Chapel Baptist Church in Beebe. Following his marriage to Sue Ring on May 12, 1956, the couple began their life together in ministry at Prairie Baptist Church near Lake City.
Additional BMA pastorates included Calvary Baptist Church in Manila and Concord Baptist Church in Concord.
Johnson was also active in evangelistic ministry, preaching revivals and Bible conferences across Arkansas and numerous other states. He served 15 years as a radio preacher on KNEA in Jonesboro through the broadcast “Calvary’s Call” and founded Jonesboro Christian School, where he served as administrator, teacher, and chaplain. He developed teaching materials known as “Word of Life Ministries” and was deeply involved in nursing home and jail ministries for many years.
Later in life, he was a member of Marcus Hill Baptist Church in Enola and remained available for preaching appointments and Bible conferences. In 2014, he was honored for 60 years in the ministry at Ring’s Chapel Baptist Church in Cave City, an ABA congregation.
In 2008, Johnson and his wife established the Terry Johnson Endowed Scholarship for Ministerial Students at Central Baptist College to assist full-time students pursuing degrees in Bible or Pastoral Ministries.
Often bivocational, Johnson also worked as a school bus driver, substitute teacher, farmer, real estate agent, bookstore owner, deputy sheriff, and in various construction and trades, faithfully witnessing for Christ in every setting.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 70 years, Sue Johnson.
Funeral services were held Feb. 14 at Concord Baptist Church with burial in Parsley Cemetery. Arrangements are by Qualls Funeral Homes.
