On Saturday, January 24, Dr. Jerry Johnson, a recent convert to the Catholic Faith, addressed a packed room of over 90 people at the Tradition, Family, Property Washington Bureau in McLean, Virginia. The title of his talk was “A Path to Rome: My Conversion Experience to the Catholic Church.”
Dr. Johnson’s background as a leading Southern Baptist is well known. He was baptized into the denomination at age 9 and was leading his own small congregation at 18. He later became a pastor at larger churches. He also served as President of Criswell College, Academic Dean at Midwestern Baptist Seminary, Dean of Boyce College, and Chairman of the Board at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was the President and CEO of National Religious Broadcasters (NRB).
Why He Became Catholic?
Dr. Johnson’s incredible story held everyone spellbound for about an hour as he shared several things that helped bring him into the Church. He explained that one thing that inspired him to make the decision was the promise of Our Lord to Saint Peter: “Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
The Real Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist was also an important factor in his conversion. He contrasted the Eucharist with how some Protestants treat the use of bread and wine as merely symbolic.
The Appeal of the Oneness of the Church
One mark of the Church that really attracted Dr. Johnson was its oneness, grounded in the Magisterium and the Papacy. He noted that the Church’s impulse is toward unity, while Protestantism tends to splinter.
He also spoke of the desire of Our Lord found in Sacred Scripture, in which he said, “That they may be one.”
Discovering Faithful Catholics Amidst the Battle for Moral Values
Dr. Johnson highlighted that his work in pro-life and pro-family causes brought him into contact with many Catholics. The examples of these leaders played a significant role in helping him take the step.
As he concluded, he thanked the TFP not just for what the organization stands for, but also for what it stands against. He invited all to join with the TFP in the fight for the Faith by putting on the armour of God.