Rev. Dr. Lugenia Johnson earned the Bachelor of Arts degree from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, where she graduated with honors. She subsequently received the Masters in Education Degree and the Specialist in Education degree from Augusta State University (Now known as Georgia Regents University). Dr. Johnson received the Doctorate in Education degree from Nova Southeastern University, at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, in June 1995. She also graduated from the Calvary Bible College in Augusta, Georgia in May 1998; and, on May 10, 2014, she received the Masters of Divinity Degree from Turner Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, GA.

Since receiving her first appointment in 1994, Dr. Johnson has served as Pastor of four churches in the Sixth Episcopal District (SED), the St. Matthew Circuit of AME Churches in Louisville and Wadley, Georgia; the Greater St. Matthew A.M.E. station church in Louisville, GA, where her radio ministry flourished throughout the region; the Wrens Chapel A.M.E. church in Wrens, Georgia where they renovated and expanded the entire church, and the Mt. Zion AME Church in Kennesaw, GA. God blessed her to accomplish awesome advancements for His Kingdom at each assignment. In Wadley, the church members renovated the church and laid a cornerstone. At Greater St. Mathews in Louisville, they renovated the church upstairs and downstairs. They added a fellowship hall with bathrooms and offices.  They also renovated the parsonage where the pastor lived for almost two years. However, during her ministry at Mount Zion, a preschool for three- to five-year-olds, along with other ministries, were added to the church: and, over nine hundred new members were added to the ministry.

In November of 2009, Dr. Johnson was given the opportunity to transfer to the 9th Episcopal District of the AME Church where Bishop James L. Davis appointed her Senior Pastor of Allen Temple AME in Bessemer, AL; and Director of Evangelism for the Ninth Episcopal District. In November 2013, Dr. Johnson was appointed Pastor of the Metropolitan AME Church in Mobile, AL where she served for four years feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and lifting the fallen in the community of Mobile, AL.  Dr. Lugenia Johnson had the privilege of serving the AMEC on the Local District, the Conference, the Episcopal District; and the Connectional levels. She has served as the Administrative Assistant to three Presiding Elders in the Sixth Episcopal District, the late PE Hurtis Ricks, PE Richard Ward, and PE Dr. David Rhone. Bishop Frank Cummings appointed her one of the two 6th District clergy to the AMEC Connectional Strategic Planning Core Committee at its inception in 2002. In 2008, the committee elected her to serve as Vice Chairperson with Bishop Vashti McKenzie, Chairperson. Dr. Johnson was inducted into the “Order of the Flame” — the Evangelistic component of the World Council of Methodist Churches in April 1997; and, in August 2009, she had the opportunity to travel to South Africa with the World Methodist Evangelism Institute for the training and implementation of the Evangelism program for the African continent. Representatives from more than fifty countries in Africa attended those sessions for fourteen days.

Dr. Johnson has served as a Marshal (2000) and has been elected an Alternate (2008 & 2024) and a Delegate (2004, 2012, 2016, & 2021) to the AMEC Quadrennial Sessions. In 2012, Dr. Lugenia Johnson made history in the African Methodist Episcopal Church when she became the first female to be elected Chairperson of the General Conference Credentials Committee. This awarded her the distinction of having become the first female in the history of the AME Church to be elected chairperson of a major General Conference Committee.

Dr. Johnson has also served the communities to which she has been assigned in various capacities. She was trained through and served as a Hospice Chaplain with the Saint Joseph Hospital in Augusta. Dr. Johnson served for two years as the President of the Cobb Faith Partnership in Cobb County, an 1organization whose work involves creating and strengthening partnerships among Faith – based organizations in Cobb County, GA. In 2001 Dr. Johnson was blessed to retire early from the GA public school system where she had served for twenty – three years as a classroom teacher and as a Middle School Principal. In September 2003, the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Parole recognized Dr. Johnson as the Volunteer of the Year because of the rehabilitation ministry for drug offenders at Wrens Chapel AME Church in Wrens, GA.  As pastor of the Allen Temple AME Church, Dr. Johnson witnessed a mighty move of God as the church once again came to life ministering to the community of Bessemer, AL. The ministry of Evangelism of the church witnessed a total of thirty individuals uniting with Allen Temple AME church. The Soup kitchen and food pantries opened their doors once again. The men of Allen Temple became mobilized and organized under the leadership of the first female pastor in the history of the church. The clothing closet, among other ministries of the church, blessed countless individuals and families in this negative economic tide.

 Dr. Johnson has worked diligently with the Evangelism Ministry of the 9th Episcopal District. She traveled the state of Alabama in 2010 assisting with and conducting training with clergy and lay persons preparing them to ‘Share their Faith’.  During a four-hour period of the single day of Pentecost Sunday 2010 approximately 1800 individuals across the state of Alabama gave their lives to Christ as a result of the efforts of the members of the AME churches in the district. Dr. Johnson is presently working to complete two books – one with her son to tell his story of ten years of incarceration for a crime he was caught up into with two other young men from her church by reason of his presence with them.

Dr. Johnson was excited to be assigned to the wonderful people of the Metropolitan AME Church in Mobile, AL in November 2013. Her humble, sincere prayer was that Almighty God would always find her willing to be used for His Glory. God allowed Dr. Johnson to work with the Sheriff of Mobile to develop and implement a program that changed the lives of many young men and entire communities.  The S.C.O.R.E Program (Second Chance or Else) helped many young men on drugs to avoid jail terms, find jobs and repair their family and community relationships. Dr. Johnson immediately opened the doors for Metropolitan to become more involved in the Mobile and surrounding communities. She worked with the Police Chief and Mayor of Mobile to make the neighborhoods safer; with organized groups to bring more awareness to the issue of Domestic Violence and Abuse. She also held a radio broadcast entitled “It’s Time to Turn Around”.  Dr. Johnson was also asked to serve as a member of the FBI Multicultural Community Advisory Board.

Because of sickness and deaths in her family, Dr. Johnson requested to be able to return to her home district, the 6th Episcopal District in 2017. She was assigned to Saint Luke AME Church in Cartersville, GA. This Congregation did not want a “Woman”, therefore, in 2019 Bishop Jackson assigned her to Mathalama AME Church in Morrow, GA. Dr. Johnson continued to develop the Facebook/Live Ministry for the church during the Pandemic of COVID-19.

Upon returning to the church in 2022, she led the congregation to engage in a renovation project in the office portion of the church. As a result, the bathrooms were completely changed, the carpet was removed and new floors were installed in every room. New heating systems were installed, and the basement floor was reinforced for more storage and to keep out water. The offices were also painted.

Dr. Johnson is the extremely proud mother of two children: Kimberly Nicole Thomas and Christopher Randolph Watkins; a granddaughter, Anaiyah Jordan Thomas; and a grandson Christian Theodis Watkins. Her number one passion and desire is to continue to serve the Lord and His people, empowered by God to make a difference for His Kingdom.