Reverend Kevin R. Johnson is the fifth Senior Pastor of the nationally-renowned Bright Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Believing “God’s people deserve nothing less than the best,” Reverend Johnson has spent his lifetime preparing for and cultivating his ministry. A Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude graduate of Morehouse College, Reverend Johnson was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr., Oprah Winfrey, and Morehouse scholarships as well as the B.R. Brazeal Award. He continued his studies at Union Theological Seminary, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree in Religious Education as a Union Scholar, and received the prestigious Maxwell Fellowship, awarded to the seminarian most likely to succeed in parish ministry. Reverend Johnson also obtained a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Weatherhead School of Business at Case Western Reserve University. He is currently a doctoral candidate at Columbia University in the Department of Organization and Leadership at Teachers College.

Since being licensed to preach the Gospel at the age of sixteen at his home congregation, David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, Reverend Johnson has worked diligently to build a new, relevant, and revolutionary ministry. He has served as the Assistant Pastor of the Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio, where Dr. Otis Moss, Jr. is Pastor. In 2002, he was recruited by Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, Pastor of The Abyssinian Baptist Church, to develop a strategic “Plan for Growth,” serving as the Assistant Pastor to the church’s more than 4,000 members. After seventeen years of pastoral preparation, God called Reverend Johnson on January 7, 2007 to succeed Reverend William H. Gray, III at the Bright Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Within a few months of becoming Bright Hope’s new shepherd, over 175 people have surrendered their lives to the Lord. Additionally, Pastor Johnson has launched several new ministries including a Singles Ministry, HIV Aids Ministry, Seasoned Saints Ministry and Business Owners Ministry.

Moreover, Pastor Johnson is an astute clergyman and is currently working to acquire land to build The Empowerment Village, an economic and community development center in North Philadelphia. The Village will include: Bright Hope Leadership Academy (Grades K- 12); affordable housing; and The Empowerment Center which will teach people how to get out of debt, become homeowners and build wealth that can be passed on to future generations. Additionally, through initiatives in the Center, the issues surrounding community violence will be addressed.

Committed to continuing the prophetic social gospel, Reverend Johnson often addresses national and international socio-political issues such as police brutality, reparations, humanitarian support for Caribbean nations, and homelessness. In 1999 he was arrested at One Police Plaza in New York City for protesting the unjust NYPD killing of African immigrant, Amadou Diallo, and in 2004 led a march in Harlem to investigate school academic performance. Furthermore, Reverend Johnson is an ardent supporter of comprehensive community development, and has served as a board member of the Harlem YMCA, American Baptist Churches Metro New York, and Abyssinian Development Corporation, advising multimillion dollar economic, housing, and community development projects. Currently he is on the Board of the Philadelphia Urban League, The Mayor’s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, and the President of the Bridge of Hope Community Development Corporation.  He is also a lifetime member of the Morehouse National Alumni Association and a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated.

Reverend Johnson is blessed to share his ministry with his lovely wife of ten years, Mrs. Kimya S. Johnson, an attorney and a former South Bronx elementary school teacher. Mrs. Johnson is a graduate of Spelman College, Columbia University, and Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Reverend and Mrs. Johnson are the proud parents of their son, Miles Hasani, and two daughters, Laila Rae and Lena Shani.