About Bishop

Bishop Flanvis Josephus Johnson, II, better known as Bishop Joey, is the Organizer and Senior Pastor of The House of the Lord® church in Akron, Ohio and the Presiding Bishop of the Beth-El Fellowship of Visionary Churches. As a visionary, Bishop Johnson founded Johnson Leadership Institute (formerly known as the Pastoral Mentoring Institute), where he utilizes his powerful gifting to train and mentor senior pastors and other church leaders to be more effective in their local churches and to make an impact on today’s society and generations to come for the cause of Jesus Christ.

As a lover of The Holy Scriptures, with keen intellectual curiosity and an insatiable appetite for reading, Bishop Johnson founded Emmanuel Christian Academy and Logos Bible Institute to present opportunities to both children and adults to become educated and equipped in the foundation of God’s Word.  Bishop Johnson is a biblical theologian and an interdisciplinary aficionado of biblical truths often teaching by unveiling the character of God and His ways.

Bishop Johnson has an open heart to share his materials and reading with Pastors and leaders to enable their development and ability to shepherd their congregations.  Visit the Resources Page for more information.

Family Life


Bishop Johnson
has been married to Pastor Cathy since 1973.  She has been an integral part of The House of the Lord serving in many capacities since its inception. Pastor Cathy is an ordained Pastor and Elder of their church, as well as an extremely talented and anointed vocalist. She is also the Director of Women Walking Together in Christ (WWTIC) which is an outreach ministry for women that extends to other churches and cities. ​Bishop Johnson and Pastor Cathy have two adult children and seven grandchildren.

The Bishopric

  Consecrated and Ordained

Bishop Johnson was promoted to the Bishopric through the providential wisdom of God and at the request of the senior pastors he mentors. His consecration and ordination in 2004 was accompanied by having the Doctor of Divinity degree conferred upon him by the Joint College of African American Pentecostal Bishops Congress.

Bishop Johnson serves as Presiding Bishop of the Beth-El Fellowship of Visionary Churches.  Within the Christian community at large, Bishop Johnson’s apostolic responsibilities include the oversight of Beth-El Fellowship of Visionary Churches. The Beth-El Fellowship of Visionary Churches was created to be a source of spiritual covering, encouragement, practical leadership development and team building, as well as a haven of rest for senior pastors, their spouses, and other church leadership. Bishop Johnson offers four and a half decades of pastoral wisdom and guidance to the senior pastors of these churches and their congregations.

For more information, visit: https://www.bethelvisionarychurches.org/

Scholar, Author, Lifelong Learner

Bishop Johnson believes in lifelong learning and continual growth and preparation.  On May 14, 2016, after over 40 years of dedicated service in the ministry, Bishop F. Josephus Johnson, II received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from The University of Akron.  Prior to that, he received two Honorary Doctorate degrees from other universities. Bishop is well-known for reading over 100 books each year on a variety of topics and has read through the Bible forty-five times.  Bishop has also authored 11 books.  Visit Bishop’s Store to view them.

Bishop Johnson founded Logos Bible Institute and Johnson Leadership Institute (formerly known as the Pastoral Mentoring Institute).  After teaching at Logos for 26 years, God opened a wide door of opportunity for Bishop Joey Johnson to serve as an Adjunct Professor for Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio. 

Congratulations Bishop!!

Hon. Doctorate of Humane Letters

Bishop Flanvis Josephus Johnson, II – The University of Akron

2 Timothy 2:15

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

In the Old Testament, the priests spent much of their lives training and learning how to prepare and cut (fillet) the sacrifice in a manner that was pleasing to God.  In the same way,  those of us who preach, develop sermons, and teach the Word of God, need to make the necessary sacrifices and take the time to pray, skillfully prepare, and be equipped and anointed for the Lord’s service.  In the midst of this, we must not neglect the vital need for godly relationships because “relationships are everything.”

Prophetic Speaking

God has called Bishop to speak truth to power, i.e. to leaders, churches, and governments in His timing, and to rightly divide His Word so that the truth of Who God is, His nature, and character will be revealed to others. This means that it is important to study the Bible in order to rightly “divide” the word of truth.

Proclaiming the Word

Bishop Joey Johnson preaches with passion and a clarion voice to the congregation.  There is always a relevant Word as he addresses challenging issues in a way that provokes deep biblical thinking. 

The ministry of Bishop Johnson spans the globe.  Many churches, ministries, pastors, and constituents in the city, across the nation, and around the world request audios and videos of the sermons and his teaching.   The flags hanging in the Great Worship Center at The House of the Lord church represent some of the 103 nations that have requested his sermons over the years.

Go to the Video Library

How to Use the Library

Index and Video Search

Featured Videos

Live Streams

FITF – Workshop Videos

Explore Our Resources & Guides

The word resource refers to assets, materials, and life supporting tools. Our prayer is that you will find the information and available teaching on this website to be a wealth of knowledge empowering you to deepen your relationship with God and energize your ministry of the gospel. We hope that you will take time to browse the collection and be edified in your Spirit as you prepare for greater works. Click Here or  click “Resources” above.

Featured Web Resources and Learning Tools

Video Resource Library

Bishop’s Messages & Media Guide

Recommended Reading Lists

Beth-El Fellowship of Visionary Churches

Prayer Requests

Biblical Studies Certificate Programs

International Pastors

Forthcoming December 2021 and Early 2022

Pastoral Leadership, Guides, and Teaching Development

Church Development, Planning, & Management

Healing, Social Justice, and Radical Love

Jesus Christ’s life and sacrifice was an example of demonstrating love to all people regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, education, or social class; particularly, the marginalized, vulnerable, and outcast. Real social justice begins with seeing the needs of others with eyes of compassion and humility, and then helping to uplift those who are under the weight of social misery. Click Here to go to the page.

Jesus Christ of the Poor, Oppressed, and Suffering

The Revolutionary & Radical Jesus

Jesus of the Poor, Oppressed, Suffering, and Marginalized

The Distortion of Christ & the Power of His Sacrifice

Liberation & Social Justice Theologies

Community Crises, Trauma, and Global Catastrophes

Traumas as Daily Catastrophe for People of Color & the Poor

On COVID-19 & Health Crises

The Church as a Refuge for the Oppressed

The Church’s Betrayal of the Message of Jesus

The Profit Church vs The People’s Church

The Physical vs The Spiritual Church

The Role of the Church in Fighting Radical Evils