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United Theological Seminary

Xavier Johnson

Assistant Professor in the Practice of Preaching and Black Church Studies

TEACHING AND RESEARCH

Dr. Johnson teaches in the areas of homiletics and Black Church studies. His research interests converge at the intersection of clergy leadership, black religion, social justice, and preaching.

EDUCATION

BA, University of South Florida, 2005

MAT, University of South Florida, 2008

M.T.S., Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, 2011

D.Min., Virginia Theological Seminary, 2019

PUBLICATIONS

ARTICLE(S), CHAPTER(S), AND REVIEW(S):

“Anti-Black Racism” in World Christianity and COVID-19: Looking Back and Looking Forward. Edited by Chammah J Kaunda, Atola Longkumer, Kenneth R. Ross, Jooseup Keum, and Roderick Hewitt. January, 2023.

(Aküm Longchari, Feraz Legita, and Angelique Walker-Smith) “Loving Our Neighbors: A Timely Contextual and Advocacy Approach to Addressing Hunger and Poverty”. Position paper written for the Baptist World Alliance, Hunger and Poverty Working Group. July, 2022.

“The Transformative Power of Black Preaching” in Transformative Spiritualities for the World Council of Churches, Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace-Theological Study Group. June, 2022.

“The Problem with Giving ’Til It Hurts” in Insights for the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving, IUPUI- Lily Family School of Philanthropy. August, 2021.

“Paradigm Shift: Thinking About the Future of the Church in a Post-Pandemic World” in A Holistic Mission Guide: The Church’s Response in Times of Crisis for the Baptist World Alliance, Global Ministry Resource. May, 2021.

“Leadership at the Intersection of Call and Identity: African-American Clergy Leadership in the 21st-Century” in  Listening: Journal of Communication Ethics, Religion, and Culture. Fall, 2020

Contributor, Preach Palestine. “First Sunday of Advent-Year B”. Friends of Sabeel- North America. October, 2020.

“A Charge to Keep I Have: A Reflection on African-American Pastoral Leadership” in The A.M.E. Review- Special COVID-19 Edition. Edited by Teresa Fry Brown. October, 2020.

“Virus Gives Society Chance to be More Just”. Dayton Daily News. May, 2020.

“Praying the Psalms in a Pandemic”. The Christian Recorder. Online. April, 2020. https://www.thechristianrecorder.com/praying-the-psalms-in-a-pandemic/.

Contributor, MissionalPreacher. “Second Sunday of Epiphany- Year A”. American Society of Missiology. January, 2020.

Baptist and Revivals: Papers from the Seventh International Conference on Baptist Studies.  Edited by William L. Pitts, Jr.  Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2018. Book Review in American Baptist Quarterly. Fall, 2019.

(With Lakeeyna Cooper, Melvin Payne, and James E. Victor, Jr.) “On Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel.”  Position Paper written for the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Society. June, 2018.

PROFESSIONAL

Dr. Xavier Johnson was ordained in Progressive National Baptist Convention and, currently, serves as the pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church in Dayton, OH. Prior to joining the faculty at United, he served as Assistant Professor of Practical Theology and Director of Contextual Ministry Education at Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, IN.

PERSONAL

Dr. Johnson is a violist with the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra.