Rev. Matthew T. Johnson, MDiv.
Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other. Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! Be happy in your hope, stand your when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home. Bless people who harass you – bless and don’t curse them. Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying. Consider everyone as equal, and don’t think that you’re better than anyone else. Instead, associate with people who have no status.
-Romans 12:9-16
His Background
Rev. Johnson grew up on a farm in Boonville, NC. Son of a family of tobacco farmers, Matthew embraced the value of hard work and Southern hospitality. As a boy, Matthew’s mother recalls the time he attended Vacation Bible School at Mt. Herman Church and “took over” the presentation by sharing all that the kids had learned that week. She claims the woman behind her predicted that Matthew “would be a fine preacher one day!” Matthew never believed that he would serve God in the capacity of a pastor.
After graduating from Surry Community College in 2012, he decided to further his education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. At first, he thought he was going to work as a biochemist or researcher, but God had different plans! Shortly after starting at UNCG, Matthew joined the Wesley-Luther Campus Ministry. It was during this time that his life would forever be changed and where he would see that God’s calling for him was to become a minister. This was a shift in Matthew’s life for many reasons, but one of the most significant was that he joined the UMC. Matthew had been raised in the Southern Baptist tradition.
Uncertain of what the future was going to hold, Matthew finished out his B.S. in Biochemistry while simultaneously serving in various leadership capacities in the campus ministry. Once he embraced his calling to go to seminary, Matthew decided to first complete a B.A. in Religious Studies and a minor in Business Administration. After concluding his studies at UNCG in 2016, Matthew and his wife, Lindsay, got married and moved to Atlanta, GA. There, he began the next chapter of his life, earning a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. This seminary education took three years to achieve, during which time Matthew spent time with vulnerable people at Gwinnett Medical Center as an interfaith chaplain, served as the ministry intern at The Table Atlanta, and was appointed as the student pastor of Campbellton United Methodist Church.
Matthew knew that he was meant to serve God in his home state of NC, so following his graduation from seminary, the destination was clear as day! The Western North Carolina Conference of the UMC felt that Matthew’s gifts and talents would best serve Glencoe UMC (Summerfield), so he was appointed pastor in July 2019. In July 2022, Matthew was asked to serve a second charge at Fairgrove UMC (Reidsville). While Rev. Johnson is only part-time at Fairgrove, he values opportunities to get to know people, hear their stories, and learn from everyone’s life experiences. His door is always open to anyone who would like to speak with him!
His Personal Life
In 2012, Matthew met Lindsay, who, unbeknownst to him at first, would later become his life partner and wife, in the very same campus ministry at UNCG. She also graduated with both a B.A. and M.A. from UNCG. Lindsay and Matthew have been married since 2016 and live with their two fur babies, a lovable boxer-terrier mix named Cheryl Grace “Gracie” and a rambunctious Norwegian Forest Cat mix named Otter.
Get In Touch
Call
(336) 428-2828
mjohnson@wnccumc.net
Office Hours
Wed: 9am – 5pm
Sun: 11am – 12:30pm
By Appointment
