Bishop Thomas Johnston (“TJ”) was born in Tuscaloosa, AL and graduated from high school in Spartanburg, SC. After graduating from law school, he and his wife, Rees, moved to Charleston, where TJ practiced law as a trial attorney.
In 1987, TJ took a leave of absence from the practice of law and with Rees, and their children (Atlee and Welden), moved to Haiti. TJ worked as a Volunteer for Mission with the Episcopal Church in Haiti where he coordinated partnerships between churches and schools in Haiti and churches and schools in the United States with a focus on rural education and health issues.
In 1991 TJ followed God’s leading to seminary and along a path to ordained ministry. After being ordained he served Grace Episcopal Church, Charleston, SC, as an assistant priest for eighteen months. In 1996 he became an assistant to Bishop Chuck Murphy at All Saints Church, Pawley’s Island, SC.
In January of 1998 TJ and his family left Pawleys Island and moved to Little Rock, AR to start a new Church (St. Andrew’s). In April of 1998 the Right Rev. Edward Salmon (Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina) transferred his Letters Dimissory (license) to the Right Rev. John Rucyahana of the Diocese of Shyira, Rwanda. With this occurrence the seed was planted that would eventually give birth to the missionary movement that is now called the Anglican Mission in the Americas.
From the earliest days of the Anglican Mission TJ has been involved in resourcing and starting new churches and the development of emerging leadership for the Mission. In June of 2001 he was consecrated as a Bishop of the Province of the Episcopal Church of Rwanda for the purpose of overseeing the churches in and the development of the Anglican Mission in the Americas. He also served on the Board of Trustees at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA.
TJ is committed to leading and growing St. Peter’s Church into a vibrant community of faith where all ages can come to explore, grow and stretch in their faith. His heart is that individual lives, along with our community, will be transformed by the love God in ways that will stand for an eternity.
Rees is an agent with Carolina One Real Estate, Welden lives in South Carolina, and Atlee lives in Texas.
Contact:
St. Peter’s Church
1287 Porchers Bluff Road
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466
(843) 881-9003 Phone
(843) 881-0877 Fax
tj@stpetersmp.org
