With heavy hearts, we at NCEJN join the Beloved Community Center (BCC) in mourning the passing of Rev. Dr. Nelson N. Johnson of Greensboro, North Carolina.
Rev. Johnson was the founding pastor of Faith Community Church (retired) and Founding Co-Executive Director of The Beloved Community Center of Greensboro. His tireless work for Justice remains illuminated in our collective memory.
Both Rev. Johnson and his wife, Mrs. Joyce Johnson, lived into the mission of BCC – “to forge and continually expand a quality of leadership and beloved community to guide Greensboro, North Carolina, and beyond into a new era of equitable economic sufficiency, peace, social, gender, and racial justice that can serve as a model and inspiration for ourselves, our region, our nation and our world.” They welcomed all into BCC and especially served as leadership role models for youth in and around Greensboro.
By example, Rev. Johnson mentored so many of us working for a just and equitable society. Though we will miss his earthly presence, we can look back and know that we are the richer spiritually, intellectually, socially, and emotionally the richer for having known him.
To paraphrase Zora Neal Hurston from Mules and Men, Rev. Johnson had his say and sang his song.
The Beloved Community Center has established the Nelson N. Johnson Legacy Fund. Donations can be sent to The Beloved Community Center, PO Box 875, Greensboro, NC 27402, and online. Other expressions of comfort may be sent to the family at 12 Mill Creek Ct., Greensboro, NC 27407. Details on funeral arrangements will be forthcoming; please check the website for the Beloved Community for updates.
