[Pic: Denver, 1875]
Preacher in North AmericaAs time went by opportunities arose to preach in the church he attended. The pastor, Dr R de Baptiste, was a great help. Convinced of a call to preach and finding his work left little time for study Johnson felt convinced he must leave Kinsley’s employment. Shortly after, his pastor received a request from former members who had gone west to Denver, then in Colorado Territory asking for someone to come and lead the little mission. De Baptiste immediately thought of Johnson. Johnson had only recently been offered an opportunity to set up in business but this clear call saved him from what he later saw could have been a temptation and a snare. De Baptiste fairly pointed out that if Johnson went into business he would be ready in four or five years to begin on an easier pastorate. The Denver congregation could only pay $25 a month. Johnson, however, cast himself on the Lord and wrote to the nine members agreeing to come.
At this point he was unordained. At a church meeting it was proposed that something be done about this. This put him in fresh consternation in view of his poor education. A council, involving representatives from various Chicago Baptist churches, was fixed for April 15, 1869. Johnson reflects, 50 years on, on how ‘in those days there were thousands of our people who preferred an illiterate man of their own race, who was known to be true to the Evangelical faith, to a white man.’ When we look for men for the ministry adherence to the faith must be the priority.
For 15 days before the council Johnson was able to give himself to prayer and study of God’s Word, walking by the banks of Lake Michigan. What wonderful times he had. Ten ministers (eight white, two black) examined him, hearing his testimony and testing his knowledge of fundamental truths. Several times he had to ask for questions to be clarified. When they asked him what he would do if they refused to ordain him he politely said he would continue to prepare himself for examination until he was found acceptable. He was sure the Lord wanted him to preach. After an hour he was asked to withdraw for a short while and spent an anxious 10 minutes waiting until Dr Taylor of Union Park Baptist Church recalled him. The ordination was held that evening when Dr Taylor preached on He that winneth souls is wise.After several farewell services and many kindnesses, the Johnsons took the Union Pacific Railroad to Cheyenne, then in Wyoming Territory. From there they headed south by stage coach, reaching Denver 24 hours later. They had travelled across miles and miles of open prairie. Apart from occasional sightings of antelope or buffalo and little ‘towns’ of prairie dogs there was nothing to see from one town to the next.
In Denver they were warmly welcomed and were glad to be greeted by familiar faces from Chicago days. Denver was very much a frontier town, just over 10 years old, founded in a gold rush. Twenty miles from the Rocky Mountain range, still today the range’s snow capped peaks rise abruptly from the low foothills to provide a spectacular backdrop to the modern city. At that time lynch law prevailed. Frontier settlements often lacked established law enforcement agencies and so exercised summary justice through vigilantes. Shortly before the Johnsons’ arrival a man had been taken down to a creek and hanged for stealing.
Johnson concentrated at first on his little flock. His lack of confidence providentially forced him to stick close to the Bible. When his stock of subjects from Chicago days began to get low he learned to pray earnestly too. He was greatly helped by a sermon of Spurgeon’s ‘The preachers’ prayer’ (Lecture 3, Lectures to my students). It was in one of a number of good books provided by The Bible Publication Society before he left Chicago. He had a book of Spurgeon sermons too. Having been warned not to plagiarise he found himself often saying, as many have, ‘Mr Spurgeon says’. Eventually he gave it away as he was becoming obsessed with it. As for his sermons he comments that if they produced no light then they certainly did some years later when he used them for a bonfire!
There were only 75 African-Americans in Denver at this time and it was not unusual for them all to be present on a Sunday. They were poor, so collections were small but the nine members did what they could to make the Johnsons comfortable. The first to be baptised was Mrs Johnson herself. She was a great help to him in his ministry in many ways. He also had help from more educated members of the congregation. One Sunday three white people came, which made him especially nervous. As he read from Acts 26:28 he read Almost thou per-su-ad-est me to be a Christian. He noticed a friend jot something down to tell him after but continued to pronounce the word in this way until corrected the next day.
Receiving only $25 a month it was necessary to find other work. He selflessly turned down the opportunity of becoming school teacher for the African-American children on the grounds that he was so poorly educated himself He was able to find a young man acceptable to the board. He felt very much his need of further education and began gathering information on Colorado Territory with the aim of raising money for a college course through a popular lecture back east. He eventually began his lecture course when it was made possible, through George Pullman, to travel back to New York free of charge. (By 1870 two railroads had reached Denver). He remembered going to see the great D L Moody and seeking his help to hire the Farwell Hall, Chicago. This happened but it was a snowy night and Johnson was very disappointed at the turn out.
He reluctantly decided that the sooner he returned to Denver the better. Back there he was taken seriously ill but made a good recovery. His burning desire was still to go to Africa to preach the God’s Word but for now he stuck to his task even though his health declined and, as ever, there was no shortage of get-rich-quick schemes to steer away from. As he plodded to the goal of obtaining a proper theological education and as Denver itself grew, so the little mission grew in numbers too.
In May 1872, after three years in Denver, Johnson returned to Chicago. Before going to Africa he hoped study in Washington but at this time calls came from two churches, one west of Chicago, in Elgin, the other further south in Springfield, Illinois. It was the latter he took up. After only a year there a unanimous call came to Providence Baptist Church, Chicago. This was an altogether more affluent and well-educated congregation and Johnson was embarrassed at his lack of schooling. Someone gave him an English Grammar but it made no sense. He found most help from the regular Sunday School notes he was provided with to teach a Sunday School class, alongside his preaching duties.
At this point he was unordained. At a church meeting it was proposed that something be done about this. This put him in fresh consternation in view of his poor education. A council, involving representatives from various Chicago Baptist churches, was fixed for April 15, 1869. Johnson reflects, 50 years on, on how ‘in those days there were thousands of our people who preferred an illiterate man of their own race, who was known to be true to the Evangelical faith, to a white man.’ When we look for men for the ministry adherence to the faith must be the priority.
For 15 days before the council Johnson was able to give himself to prayer and study of God’s Word, walking by the banks of Lake Michigan. What wonderful times he had. Ten ministers (eight white, two black) examined him, hearing his testimony and testing his knowledge of fundamental truths. Several times he had to ask for questions to be clarified. When they asked him what he would do if they refused to ordain him he politely said he would continue to prepare himself for examination until he was found acceptable. He was sure the Lord wanted him to preach. After an hour he was asked to withdraw for a short while and spent an anxious 10 minutes waiting until Dr Taylor of Union Park Baptist Church recalled him. The ordination was held that evening when Dr Taylor preached on He that winneth souls is wise.After several farewell services and many kindnesses, the Johnsons took the Union Pacific Railroad to Cheyenne, then in Wyoming Territory. From there they headed south by stage coach, reaching Denver 24 hours later. They had travelled across miles and miles of open prairie. Apart from occasional sightings of antelope or buffalo and little ‘towns’ of prairie dogs there was nothing to see from one town to the next.
In Denver they were warmly welcomed and were glad to be greeted by familiar faces from Chicago days. Denver was very much a frontier town, just over 10 years old, founded in a gold rush. Twenty miles from the Rocky Mountain range, still today the range’s snow capped peaks rise abruptly from the low foothills to provide a spectacular backdrop to the modern city. At that time lynch law prevailed. Frontier settlements often lacked established law enforcement agencies and so exercised summary justice through vigilantes. Shortly before the Johnsons’ arrival a man had been taken down to a creek and hanged for stealing.
Johnson concentrated at first on his little flock. His lack of confidence providentially forced him to stick close to the Bible. When his stock of subjects from Chicago days began to get low he learned to pray earnestly too. He was greatly helped by a sermon of Spurgeon’s ‘The preachers’ prayer’ (Lecture 3, Lectures to my students). It was in one of a number of good books provided by The Bible Publication Society before he left Chicago. He had a book of Spurgeon sermons too. Having been warned not to plagiarise he found himself often saying, as many have, ‘Mr Spurgeon says’. Eventually he gave it away as he was becoming obsessed with it. As for his sermons he comments that if they produced no light then they certainly did some years later when he used them for a bonfire!
There were only 75 African-Americans in Denver at this time and it was not unusual for them all to be present on a Sunday. They were poor, so collections were small but the nine members did what they could to make the Johnsons comfortable. The first to be baptised was Mrs Johnson herself. She was a great help to him in his ministry in many ways. He also had help from more educated members of the congregation. One Sunday three white people came, which made him especially nervous. As he read from Acts 26:28 he read Almost thou per-su-ad-est me to be a Christian. He noticed a friend jot something down to tell him after but continued to pronounce the word in this way until corrected the next day.
Receiving only $25 a month it was necessary to find other work. He selflessly turned down the opportunity of becoming school teacher for the African-American children on the grounds that he was so poorly educated himself He was able to find a young man acceptable to the board. He felt very much his need of further education and began gathering information on Colorado Territory with the aim of raising money for a college course through a popular lecture back east. He eventually began his lecture course when it was made possible, through George Pullman, to travel back to New York free of charge. (By 1870 two railroads had reached Denver). He remembered going to see the great D L Moody and seeking his help to hire the Farwell Hall, Chicago. This happened but it was a snowy night and Johnson was very disappointed at the turn out.
He reluctantly decided that the sooner he returned to Denver the better. Back there he was taken seriously ill but made a good recovery. His burning desire was still to go to Africa to preach the God’s Word but for now he stuck to his task even though his health declined and, as ever, there was no shortage of get-rich-quick schemes to steer away from. As he plodded to the goal of obtaining a proper theological education and as Denver itself grew, so the little mission grew in numbers too.
In May 1872, after three years in Denver, Johnson returned to Chicago. Before going to Africa he hoped study in Washington but at this time calls came from two churches, one west of Chicago, in Elgin, the other further south in Springfield, Illinois. It was the latter he took up. After only a year there a unanimous call came to Providence Baptist Church, Chicago. This was an altogether more affluent and well-educated congregation and Johnson was embarrassed at his lack of schooling. Someone gave him an English Grammar but it made no sense. He found most help from the regular Sunday School notes he was provided with to teach a Sunday School class, alongside his preaching duties.
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