Carlton Johnson
Carlton David Johnson is a native of Atlanta GA. He received his undergraduate degree from Emory University in English with a concentration in literature from the African diaspora. Following a 25-year career in Project, Operation and Client Services Management, Carlton returned to the academy to receive the Master of Divinity at Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary and, most recently, the Master of Theology (Homiletics) from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Throughout his life, he has maintained an intimate concern for the disenfranchised, especially young African-American males. He has worked diligently in the outreach ministries of the church and given himself to mentorship with the United States National Guard Youth Challenge Academy and his beloved Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Carlton currently serves as an associate minister at the First African Presbyterian Church in Lithonia GA and as the Administrative Officer for Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary. Carlton and his wife Cara reside in Atlanta, GA.
Intersectionality in the Black Church: Strength and Struggles
The black church is a unique and culturally rich faith community that has served as a source of support and leadership for black people as we battled not just in spiritual warfare but freedom, self-determination, social justice, racial equity, human and civil rights, and coalition building. The western black church began with enslaved faith leaders who learned to read the Bible when it was illegal and harbored secret meetings where the Word served as a source of comfort, hope, and liberation. The black church continued to serve as the common gathering place for revolution and birthed great leaders for civil rights and pioneers of education, arts, music, and politics. The black church is now a diverse compilation of denominations that still leads and serves its community but the modern world has brought intersectionality that the black church is less clear on how to maneuver. This session is a panel format of black faith leaders and those invested in the black church who will explore these intersections as they uniquely impact the future of the black church.