After two years without a pastor, Newburgh’s First Baptist Church has welcomed Guytrell as the new pastor. Since joining the South Street congregation in April, Johnson has been grateful for the opportunity. As pastor he is hopeful about growing the congregation in the city through outreach and community engagement.

Originally from Chatham, N.Y., Johnson grew up in a religious household raised by his mother and grandmother. Johnson’s father was not present growing up but Johnson would come to know him later in life. Growing up, Johnson attended Payne AME Church in Chatham but did not enjoy going to church then, feeling like an outcast due to his family’s financial situation.

After making the decision to not attend church anymore, Johnson said he fell into sin for a time. Johnson recalled that 2000 was the year he accepted God and Jesus into his life. “When he came into my heart, it was like all those years of rage came streaming down my face in tears,” said Johnson. “Jesus broke that rage that was in my heart and from the moment I accepted Him, I was saved by His grace.”

Johnson then made his way to Kingston and joined the New Progressive Baptist Church, led by the Reverend Doctor G. Modele Clarke. While in Kingston, Reverend Clarke became a spiritual mentor to him and it was through the church that Johnson met his wife-to-be. The couple are now raising their children in Kingston and Johnson became ordained in ministry in 2014.

Outside of his pastoral duties, Johnson has worked in the City of Newburgh for 15 and a half years, where he previously ran a transitional house on Third and Johnston Street for those formerly incarcerated. Currently, he serves as a campus minister at the LaSalle School in Albany and works as a chaplain for the Office of Children and Family Services.

Prior to Johnson joining the First Baptist congregation, as it did not have a pastor, Reverend Clarke would sometimes come to serve at the pulpit in Newburgh. Johnson said he would come to Newburgh to support Clarke and would attend services. Hearing the spirit of the Lord one day, Johnson went and inquired about the pastoral position. “I came and inquired, and now I’m here. I submitted the proper paperwork, I minister, and the church voted yes for me to be their pastor,” said Johnson. “The feeling behind that is a feeling of gratitude. I’m just grateful that the Lord would even allow a person like myself to be put in a position to lead His church.”

As the first Afro-American pastor of First Baptist according to Johnson, he recognizes the congregation he now leads is an older congregation that has been maintaining the parish, even during and after the COVID pandemic. Johnson explained that many parishioners from various religious congregations transitioned to online services during the pandemic. Some parishioners did not even come back to church at all after restrictions were lifted for the world.

During his time in Newburgh, Johnson has been a part of three baptisms within the congregation. With First Baptist, his goals are to increase evangelization and outreach in the community. He would like to work with youth in the schools, as Newburgh Free Academy is directly across the street from the church, and invite more parents and children to join his congregation. Other outreach ideas include hosting food giveaways for the community with a light meal available once a month, or starting a soup kitchen or food pantry for the community. Johnson’s goals are to make the community aware of First Baptist’s presence, and to welcome neighbors to join them in fellowship.

“I would like to present a place where the sick can get well, where the blind can see and the deaf can hear, where a person can be 100 percent themselves and also be in position to change,” Johnson said.