Betty Adkins Johnson, 1921-1992

The Rev. Betty Johnson entered into full-time ministry with the United Methodist Church when she was 53 years old. Her husband, the Rev. William Rexford Johnson, had a heart attack and was disabled in 1974. The family was worried about how things would work out. The district superintendent asked to meet with Mrs. Johnson and told her that the bishop was going to call her and that she was to say "yes" to the question he was going to ask. The bishop asked Mrs. Johnson to take over her husband's charge. That's how it all started! Mrs. Johnson's husband died in the latter part of March 1975. The family will never forget the sequence of events that followed. The Rev. William Johnson was buried on a Saturday. The following day was Easter Sunday. Mrs. Johnson led the combined services that day at Elliots Hill United Methodist Church with the Rev. Charles Snead preaching.

The Rev. Betty Johnson served the Rockbridge Charge for several years before moving to the Blue Grass Charge near Monterey. She served five years at Blue Grass and thoroughly enjoyed the rural setting and the people. The Rev. Johnson was constantly busy with the affairs of the church and the people she pastored. She was then appointed to the Stonewall-Westview Charge near Staunton where she served for six years and then retired. After retiring, the Rev. Johnson was called to preach once again at the Monterey Charge for six months and then to serve as pastor of Rankin United Methodist Church in Stuarts Draft for three months. Finally, her failing health caused her to end her appointed ministry and she moved to Summersville, W. Va., to live with her son. The Rev. Johnson was active in the Summersville Memorial United Methodist Church, Summersville, W. Va., until passing away on Nov. 14, 1992.

To describe the love, affection and care the Rev. Betty Johnson had for her churches and their people would be difficult to explain. I think of two things that would best do it. On one occasion, while helping my mother to move to a new charge, I noticed that the church buildings were in pretty poor shape. I told my wife that the next time we visited, those buildings would be in tip top shape. Upon our next visit several months later, sure enough -- everything was in tip top shape, including the people of those congregations. The Rev. Betty Johnson was the complete minister. Folks came from most of her former churches to attend her funeral which was held at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church near Glasgow. This was a moving testimony to me of the type of minister she was.

-David L. Johnson, son