Having been raised in a small southern Texas town during the volatile sixties and seventies, Rev. Dr. Melvin L. Johnson (ML) witnessed and experienced much of the cultural changes that were powered by the Civil Rights Movement and the Viet Nam War. He and his two siblings grew up in a home with traditional Judeo-Christian values surrounded by a community where “taking a village to raise a child” was normal as well as acceptable.  One unique character trait within him was to see himself as an equal to people of other races who may have considered him inferior, and identified racial hatred as being the most important issue of the time in need of solving. Using the gift of discernment, Dr. Johnson defines himself as being a spiritual pathologist, as he seeks to study the causes for spiritual death in individuals and offer Biblical solutions that transform lives for better living.

With an unquenchable desire to identify and solve the most pressing social problems of our time, Reverend Dr. M.L. Johnson was licensed to preach the gospel in April of 1988 at Hall Chapel Baptist Church, and has been the sr. pastor of the Heart of Christ Community Church where he and Sheena, wife of 42 years have served for 27 years (43 on April 23). He has earned an Associate of Arts degree from Brazosport College, a BA degree in Religious Education, MA degree in Christian Counseling and a DM in Theology from Covington School of Theology.

He has authored several books such as Junk Food in the Body of Christ, Overcoming Racism Through the Gospel, From Heaven to You and his most recent work, Understanding Socialism and the Danger It Brings. Recognized as one of the nation’s experts in racial reconciliation, Dr. Johnson has also hosted a TV program, “The Isaiah Project” for several years on the God’s Learning Channel network in Odessa, Tx. He now serves as an executive board member of the Texas Pastor Council and is president of the Texas chapter of S.T.A.N.D. of which Bishop E.W. Jackson is the founder and executive director and a member of the Frederick Douglass Freedom Alliance based in Washington, D.C.