Bicentennial Notes on Restoration History . . .

JOHN T. JOHNSON, ENVOY OF EVANGELISM AND UNITY

John T. Johnson holds an important place in the history of our Movement for several reasons. Already in this series we have seen that he was instrumental in bringing about the union of the Disciples and the Christians (Stoneites, so-called) in 1832 in Lexington, Ky. He was then living in Georgetown, Ky., where Barton W. S tone was his neighbor, Johnson, representing the Campbell movement, carried on his own little unity meetings with Stone, and finally, with the help of Raccoon John Smith and others, a union was achieved between the two restoration groups.

Johnson is also important to us because of the close association he had with the earliest pioneers of the Movement. Born the same year as Alexander Campbell (1788), he was contemporary with and fellow-worker with both the Campbells, Barton W. Stone, Raccoon John Smith, Jacob Creath, Benjamin Franklin, and John Gano, to name but a few. J. W. McGarvey was at his bedside when he died. He was co-editor with Campbell in the hymnal that went through many editions, and he joined Stone as co-editor of his journal, as a symbol of their newly found unity. He also helped Benjamin Franklin edit his Monthly Review. He assisted Dr. L. L. Pinkerton, well known as our first “liberal,” in starting a school for girls. He also worked with Walter Scott and D. S. Burnett in their publications. He was certainly a man who got around and one who could easily work with others. His life’s work touched the Movement at virtually every turn in the road.

His significance in our history lay primarily in his success as an evangelist. He was often referred to as “the evangelist of Kentucky,” and his effectiveness was phenomenal. He averaged immersing 50 people a month for a period of 25 years, which totals 15,000 souls. In a meeting in Richmond, Virginia he went two weeks without a single response, but as he continued a few more days 55 came forward to be immersed. It was not uncommon for him to baptize 70 or 80 people in a single protracted meeting. In his only visit to Bethany to visit with Campbell (1847) the college students were on vacation, but of the few that were there he immersed six of them. This led Campbell to theorize in the next issue of his Millenial Harbinger as to “the secret” of Johnson’s effectiveness. “The great secret of brother Johnson’s great success,” he wrote, “is his evident sincerity, honesty, and great earnestness.” He wrote also of his good sense and clear perception of the facts and promises of the gospel. He described him as being “plain, clear and emphatic.” Benjamin Franklin explained the evangelist’s effectiveness by saying that he was able to inspire confidence and hope more than any man he had ever known.

He certainly led an eventful life. Educated at Transylvania University, he was admitted to the bar when only 21. Two years later he took 15-year old Sophia Lewis to be his bride, and then settled on a farm in Georgetown. He was an aide to General Harrison, who later became president, in the War of 1812. He was in fact shot while standing near the general, an incident that caused Harrison to speak personally of his heroism. He served for almost a decade as a representative of the people of Kentucky, first in the state legislature and then in Congress.

His confidence in the will of the people is reflected in his vote for Andrew Jackson to be president. Since the popular vote was not decisive, it had to be determined by the House of Representatives. The vote was very close, Jackson winning by a mere four votes. Johnson bypassed his own Kentucky-favorite, Henry Clay, to cast his vote for Jackson. This he did because Jackson was the people’s choice, and he thought the voters should be trusted. He later referred to this as the proudest act of his life.

In the meantime he became a rather wealthy man through real estate holdings, but he lost most of it in the financial crisis of 1819. This was not because of his own debts, but because his trust of others led him to sign more of their notes than he should have.

All these years “Major” Johnson, as he was called, was a layman in the Baptist Church in Georgetown. He tells of how he came to be affected by the teaching of Alexander Campbell.

The public mind was much excited in regard to what was vulgarly called Campbellism, and I resolved to examine it in light of the Bible. I was won over, and contended for it with all my might in the private circle. I was astonished at the ignorance and perversity of learned men who were reputed pious and otherwise esteemed honorable. My eyes were opened and I was made perfectly free by the truth. And the debt of gratitude I owe to that man of God, Alexander Campbell, no language can tell. (Richardson, Memoirs, p. 381)

Old Jacob Creath, Sr. was pastor of the church where Johnson was a member. He was present when Creath made his defense before the leaders for his leanings toward Campbellism, which was no doubt instrumental in bringing about his own change. It shows once more how the Campbell movement first emerged among reformation minded Baptists.

Johnson set out to reform the Baptist church he had attended as a boy, in Cross Creek, Ky., but ended up starting a congregation of his own, after the primitive order, once his efforts with the Baptists proved futile. He was still practicing law, but was becoming more and more interested in the Lord’s work.

It was about this time that he first met Alexander Campbell. He had asked Campbell to give a discourse at his congregation. Campbell himself describes the occasion, how, after the discourse, he invited the major to go walking with him in the yard around the meetinghouse. “Brother Johnson, you are aware that the Baptists are occasionally wont to say that they sometimes ‘feel a deep and solemn impression on their minds’,” he said to the lawyer, now 42 years old. “ I now feel such an impression on my mind, and it is concerning not myself but you.” There was quiet for a moment as they paused in the churchyard. “And what is it?,” asked Johnson. Campbell measured the man with his piercing eyes and said, “It is that you should abandon politics and the law, and go and preach the gospel.”

Campbell goes on to tell how he was passing through Georgetown a few months later and inquired of a brother as to how things were going. The brother replied, “Nothing remarkable, save that John T. Johnson has given up politics and is now preaching the gospel.” It was a great day In the history of the Movement when that happened.

Johnson always had great appreciation for Campbell, and it vexed his soul that Campbell had to suffer so much calumny. The evangelist insisted that Campbell’s name would live on and that he would be appreciated by succeeding generations, while those of his opponents would soon be forgotten. He was especially impressed with Campbell’s part of the debate with Rice:

If ever gigantic powers of mind were exhibited, they were manifested by Alexander Campbell in that discussion in Lexington. The debate will hand his name down to posterity as one of God’s most gifted sons. His goodness and greatness will outlive all the malice of his enemies. His fame defies the insidious attacks of envy. And the mighty work he has accomplished will constitute one of the greenest spots in the world’s history, when his opponents are dead and forgotten. (Biography of John T. Johnson, p. 241)

It is obvious that he felt a debt of gratitude to the Sage of Bethany for all the light he had brought into his life and for encouraging him to be an evangelist. “Thank the Lord that your writings ever fell in my way! I shall ever feel the debt of gratitude that you taught me how to read the Bible, the book of the lord. It imparts to me a happiness that no language can tell,” he once wrote. Another time he wrote: “Your triumphs are recorded and your riches are in the heavens!”

It is interesting that one of the first things that impressed Campbell about John T. Johnson was the way he gave thanks at the table. But in later years he was to say much more about the former Congressman: “He is one of the most laborious, useful, exemplary and successful evangelists in America.”

The artist who painted the gallery of pioneer preachers, which presently hangs at our historical society in Nashville, caught the significance of John T. Johnson. He depicts Thomas Campbell serving the Lord’s Supper, which is appropriate. Alexander Campbell, Robert Richardson, and Walter Scott are standing in a central place before an open Bible. Isaac Errett and W. K. Pendleton also have conspicuous places. And where does he place Johnson? He stands in the most prominent place of all, out in front of the entire gallery. He is baptizing!

“I feel the spirit of evangelizing burning within me!” aptly reveals the heart of this unusual man. His biographer, John Rogers lists some of the reports he sent in from the field, published in various papers. They seem unreal to those of us living in the 1970’s. There were 30 additions in Charleston, Indiana … 32 in May’s Lick, Ky … 50 in Jeffersonville near Louisville … 52 in Mt. Sterling, Ky … 77 at still another place. On and on it goes. By 1840 there were 30,000 Disciples in Kentucky alone, according to Johnson’s count, and 200,000 altogether. It was his zeal that set the pace of growth.

There was a sense of urgency in his message. He was a no-nonsense preacher, always placing one great question before the hearer: Will you choose God as your Ruler or the Devil? It was common for him, like Campbell, to lift up Jesus by showing the relationship between the Patriarchal, Jewish, and Christian eras. He had a way of crying out, “Oh, let the goodness of God lead you to repentance — the dying love of the Savior reconcile you to God!” Above all, he was a tireless worker and his commitment to the Cause infused him with inexhaustible energy. His biographer says he spoke with the vigor of a man of 30 while in his 60’s.

And he always had a passion for the unity of God’s people upon earth. His reports from the field would sometime express the hope that he might unite the entire town on the basis of the primitive faith. We have seen that his own unity meetings with Barton Stone set the stage for the union of the Stone and Campbell movements. Ten years after that he arranged still another unity meeting in Lexington, and this time all the sects were invited to gather and discuss the possible basis of unity. He persuaded Campbell to be present, who was not present at the first one. A large crowd gathered, including representatives from several sects, especially Baptists. Johnson insisted that the meeting be conducted in all good feeling, free of any harsh remarks, and that everyone be free to take part in the discussions.

The influential Baptist leader, W.F. Broaddus, a lifetime antagonist of Campbell, was present, even though he urged the Baptists to stay away. He was asked to speak to the question of the basis of unity, but he chose to be silent. That caused Campbell to describe him as “a silent spectator,” but he hoped he might experience what Goldsmith spoke of — “some who came to scorn remain’d to pray.”

There was something especially unusual about that unity meeting. They decided to pass a resolution in reference to the grounds on which the church could be one. It was a disarming resolution, one that should have set the likes of W.F. Broaddus to thinking. It read:

Resolved, That the union of Christians can be scripturally effected by requiring a practical acknowledgment of such articles of belief and such rules of piety and morality as are admitted by all Christian denominations.

This is a neat way of pointing out that we all tend to agree on the universals of the Christian faith, such as the one Lord, the one faith, and the one baptism. We can unite on what we admit to be necessary to the faith. It is the particulars, especially our own opinions and theological speculations, that keep us separated.

John T. Johnson is significant for the 1970’s. We can use both his evangelistic zeal and his passion for unity. He was a man of action as well as ideas. He stands as an illustrious example of what one man can do. And he was willing to make the sacrifice to do it. Is it that that distinguishes him from most of us who profess the same faith? —the Editor