Ralph H. Johnson, Jr.

Ralph Herbert Johnson, Jr. was an ordained Elder pastor in the United Methodist Church. He was led to his mansion in glory on June 11, 2026. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts on June 22, 1943, to Ralph Johnson, Sr. and Irene (Parent) Johnson. As a youth he was active in his Baptist Church. At age 15, he attended an ecumenical Christian youth conference where he accepted Jesus to be his personal Lord and Savior. He felt a strong call to preach, teach, write and counsel.

Following his high school graduation, Ralph attended Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts and was very active there as newspaper editor, yearbook editor, missionary fellowship president, department fellow and student body president. He graduated in May 1965 with a bachelor’s degree in English.

He attended seminary from 1965-1969 at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, earning an M.Div. He was known on campus as “Tiger Ralph, born to bring laughter in a sober seminary”.

He worked his way through seminary for 2 years as a social worker for unwed mothers in Beverly, Massachusetts. He helped them with clothing, food, miserable landlords and most of all babies. This social work improved and augmented his seminary experience.

Following graduation, he did not feel ready to be a minister. In 1966 he married a college classmate, and they moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he took a job as the director of public relations for a local seminary. During that time his wife decided she did not want to be a minister's wife, and they were divorced.

Ralph then returned to Massachusetts and was hired by the Salvation Army Harbor Light Center in Boston. There he worked with "down and out people" like alcoholics, drug addicts, thieves, etc. He created a group he called "the mature men". He preached there every Wednesday.

After three years at Harbor Light, he took a position at another unique place in Boston, the South End Settlements center. It was an African American agency where he was well received as the only Caucasian employee. It was an unexpected joy. After some time there, his supervisor said “Rev. Johnson, it is time for you to go to the church. The church needs you.”

Following his supervisor’s recommendation, he began serving as a pastor. He first was pastor at the Fairlawn United Methodist Church in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. While there he met and married the Sunday School Superintendent, Carol Roberson. The bishop then moved them to Pine Grove United Methodist Church in York, PA. There his assignment was to be the first full time pastor for that church. Two years later he was sent to the UMC in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania. In 1982, he completed an M.S. in Public Affairs from the U Mass Boston.

He was known in the churches that he served as “The Parish Jester, born to entertain church joy”.

At Glen Rock, he chose to leave the ministry to pursue presentation of two workshops that he had developed: “Discovering Mental Wealth” and “Poets’ Paradise”. He presented these seminars to professional groups, frequently at Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers’ Association conferences of about 600 people. This was part-time work and gave him more time at home with his wife and two daughters, as he desired.

In 2019, Ralph and Carol moved to St. Anne’s Retirement Community in Columbia, PA, where he was greatly appreciated by other residents for his informal, unofficial ministry, providing his inspirational and comforting poetry to many residents, as he perceived needs among the other residents.

Ralph is survived by his wife, Carol, whom he considered to be a Proverbs 31:10 wife. She is an avid genealogist. Their older daughter, Kristin lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband John Worne. Their younger daughter, Kimberly lives in Narvon, PA, with her husband Christopher Mazzola. Ralph’s brother, Philip Johnson and his wife, Diane, live in Braintree, Massachusetts. Ralph is also survived by their three children and eight grandchildren.

Friends and family will be received from 10AM to 11AM on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 100 W Main Street, Mountville, PA 17554. A Life Celebration Service will follow beginning at 11AM.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Ralph’s name to the St. Anne’s Day of Stay, St. Anne’s Retirement Community, attention to the Giving & Marketing Department, 3952 Columbia Ave., West Hempfield Township, 17512.