[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15904-15905]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   IN HONOR OF BISHOP CLIFFORD M. JOHNSON, JR.'S 48TH ANNIVERSARY AS 
             PASTOR OF MOUNT PLEASANT CHURCH AND MINISTRIES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 12, 2017

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a great American and a 
visionary leader--Bishop Clifford M. Johnson, Jr.
  This month, Bishop Johnson celebrates his 48th anniversary as Pastor 
of Mount Pleasant Church and Ministries, which is located in my 
Congressional District in Baltimore, Maryland.
  For nearly half a century, Bishop Johnson has used his God-given 
talents and abilities to uplift the people of his church and those in 
the surrounding community.
  As a passionate Bible scholar and avid reader, Bishop Johnson was 
drawn to studying the Word of God at a young age.
  A native of Baltimore, he graduated from Kenwood High School in 
Baltimore County and pursued additional studies at the Baltimore 
College of Commerce and the Community College of Baltimore. Bishop 
Johnson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Pastoral Theology from the 
Washington Bible College and Capital Seminary. In 1975, he received an 
Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from the Virginia Seminary and 
College of Lynchburg, Virginia.
  Under Bishop Johnson's dynamic leadership, Mount Pleasant Church and 
Ministries has grown to serve a congregation of 8,000 people. He turned 
a deteriorating shopping center into a thriving 17-acre campus with 
several ministries that reach beyond the walls of the church to bring 
resources and support to neighbors in need. Those ministries include: 
Kingdom Men Bible Class, the Prison Ministry, the Adult Learning 
Center, the Word of Life Ministry for children, the Evangelism 
Ministry, the Food and Banquet Ministry, and the Lampstand Christian 
Bookstore.
  Because of Bishop Johnson's deep belief in the power of education to 
change the trajectory of the lives of young people, he established the 
Mount Pleasant Christian School. The school serves children from 
Kindergarten through grade five, and everyone involved with the 
school--from teachers, to parents and support staff--has committed to 
the mission of ``awakening the genius in every child.''
  Bishop Johnson's influence runs deep through the City of Baltimore. 
He is highly regarded by elected officials, business and civic leaders, 
and the people of the community. I witnessed this influence first-hand 
during the city's unrest following the killing of Freddie Gray. Bishop 
Johnson was one of the first pastors to join with me and other 
spiritual leaders to help bring calm to the streets of Baltimore. 
Bishop Johnson then helped to devise a long-term plan to heal the 
shattered relationship between police and the communities they serve 
and protect. His genuine connection to the people of the community 
helped us assess and respond to their real needs.
  Bishop Johnson has such a powerful ministry because he relates the 
Word of God to people's everyday lives. He has made an impact 
throughout the world by ministering in Canada, Israel, Sweden, France 
and Africa. He recently earned the distinction of being the first 
African American to preach and evangelize in Cuba.
  A loving family man, Bishop Johnson has been married to Dorothy 
Johnson for more than 50 years. They have five children and thirteen 
grandchildren.
  I am honored to pay tribute to Bishop Clifford M. Johnson, Jr. for 
his 48 years of pastoring Mount Pleasant Church and Ministries. He is a 
noble American who continues to serve his church, his community, and 
his country with distinction, and I thank him for his ministry.

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