A Letter to the Churches of the BMA of America

By Charles Johnson, President • BMA of America

I am very humbled at your recent vote to elect me as your president this year. This is not an office I desired, but I accept it as God’s will and direction. I pledge to you to do my best with the Lord’s help and guidance. I ask of you the same two things asked of the churches I have pastored — remember I am human and be sure to pray for me.

I was born in 1952 to godly parents who started their married life in 1930 as tenant farmers in East Texas. I graduated from Jacksonville College in 1972 and worked in teaching, coaching, maintenance and administrative positions in public schools for 40 years while also serving as a bi-vocational pastor. Since 2015, I have been in the full-time pastorate.

In 1972, God gave me a top-notch helpmate when I married Charlotte Harrell a “P-K” whose daddy, Melvin Harrell was a longtime, faithful BMA pastor in Wood County, Liberty and Hopkins County Associations in northeast Texas. We have been blessed with a son, Dr. David Johnson of Tyler, Texas; a daughter and son-in-law, Mary Ann and Brian Mauk, who are both educators and church youth directors; and two granddaughters, Triniti and Allie Mauk.

I was saved at age 12 during a revival meeting held by Bro. Mike Reed. I surrendered to preach at age 16 during a revival meeting held by my uncle, Don Hymer. I was ordained to the gospel ministry in March 1971 while attending school in Jacksonville. I have been privileged to serve as pastor of three BMA churches in the past 53 years and am going on year 40 at my current field at Rosewood Baptist Church in Gilmer, Texas. I have been in the BMA my entire earthly life plus nine months! My grandmother, Zelma Hymer was a messenger in 1950 at Lakeland, Fla., when the BMA (then NABA) was formed. I love and believe in the work and ministries of the BMA at all levels.

Please mark your calendars for April 22-24, 2025, which will be our next annual national association meeting at Pathway Baptist Church in Waxahachie, Texas. Preliminary plans are already being developed around a theme of the importance of local churches.