[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 24, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E66-E67]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO REVEREND JOSEPH LEE JOHNSON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 24, 2012

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay 
tribute to Reverend Joseph Lee Johnson, a dynamic leader of the 
religious community and a founder of the Police Chaplains Program in 
the City of Richmond, California--and to mark his passing on January 9, 
2012, at the age of 93.
  Born in Westdale, Louisiana on September 3, 1918, to the late Adeline 
and Bill Johnson, J.L. Johnson was one of twelve children. In December 
of 1937, he met Ida Mae Gilliom--they were married two weeks later on 
January 11, 1938. He and Ida Mae remained happily married for nearly 74 
years.
  In September 1943 he and Ida Mae moved to Vallejo, California, where 
he Worked at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. It was there that he 
united with Union Baptist Church where he served on the Deacon Board 
until 1950, when he was ordained and became Pastor of St. John 
Missionary Baptists Church in Vallejo. He continued to pastor at St. 
John Church for over 21 years. Reverend Johnson organized the Baptist 
Ministers Union of Vallejo, and was elected its first president. In 
addition, he was president of the Interdenominational Ministers 
Alliance for many years, organizing local clergy around issues such as 
promoting civil rights, ending hunger, and curbing violence.
  Reverend Johnson also started one of the first food programs in 
Richmond where he was instrumental in working with government agencies 
to provide cheese, butter and other food to local churches to feed low-
income families.
  He was a peacemaker. During the social unrest of the 1960s, the 
Bissell property where Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church is now 
located was, at the time, the local headquarters

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for the Black Panther Party. Reverend Johnson and others negotiated 
with the late Huey P. Newton and Party leaders to acquire the building 
as a church and an outlet to serve the needs of the community. In the 
early 1980s, Reverend Johnson played an integral role between African 
American police officers and the City of Richmond Police Department to 
address racial divisions within the department. Those efforts resulted 
in the very first Police Chaplin Program in the country. Reverend 
Johnson and other ministers rode with police officers to provide 
spiritual counseling, comfort and prayer to men and women of the force 
as well as victims of violence and their families. He served as a 
Police Chaplin for almost 20 years.
  Reverend Johnson received his Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Moody 
Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, and his degree in Christian 
Doctrine from the Divinity School of Oakland Seminary. He was a mentor 
to many young preachers and pastors, and worked tirelessly beyond the 
boundaries of his faith community by counseling and advising local 
civic leaders. Reverend J.L. Johnson was a very proud man who would 
often say, ``As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.'' His 
presence will be greatly missed throughout our community. I ask my 
colleagues to join with me in offering sincere condolences to his wife 
of 74 years, Ida Mae Johnson and to the entire Church Family of 
Elisabeth Missionary Baptist Church.

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