Davia Johnson

GEORGE HENRY, STAR Writer

The Grace Temple Apostolic Church at Chudleigh in Manchester is blessed to have as its youth president, Davia Johnson. Johnson is the daughter of the Reverend Dr Donald Jackson, who is the president of the Chudleigh Path branch of the Jamaica Agricultural Society. She said her Christian walk started in a serious way over 11 years ago.

"I have been saved for 11 years. The Lord just picked me. I usually go to church and every altar call I would get saved; but then the Lord came and He visited me one day. I believe that the Lord called me," said Johnson.

She expressed confidence that God has called her to service based on the way her Maker came to her one night just before she fell asleep.

"I knew it was the Lord. It was just a voice which spoke to me and said that I needed to get saved; and I just surrendered. I complied," said the youth president.

Testing moments

She said life for her as a Christian leader has been up and down, in the sense that she has encountered many testing moments on the journey, but in spite of them, she has been able to give thanks and glorify God nevertheless.

As far as her role as a youth president is concerned and her ability to execute her duties in that capacity, Johnson explained that she has been able to serve the youth in her congregation without many difficulties due mainly to her personality.

"Because of my personality, I see myself as a people person. I love people on a whole; and due to my leadership training that I have received, it has made things much easier for me serving in my current capacity in the church," noted Johnson.

She said unlike many young Christians who have to give up a lot to surrender their life to the Lord, she was never in such a position. She noted that she was not the party type of individual who had to give up such activity to start walking with God, and so the transition from being a sinner to live a sacred life for Christ was easy for her.

"I never loved partying. Some of the little things which influenced other young people did not really affect me at all. I did not give up much to start serving Christ. I went to college (teachers) when I was 15 years old; and at college you know it's an experience where when you leave home and all that, you get exposed to a lot. It was at that time that I grew stronger in the Lord," bragged the youth leader.

The graduate of Church Teachers' College emphasised that despite the many distractions that existed while she was attending college, she was able to weather the storm by first ensuring that she became a member of the University and Colleges Christian Fellowship at the Manchester tertiary institution.

She noted that she stayed in that Christian movement for all three years she was there, and her involvement in activities there helped to build her as a Christian and prepared her to take on the challenges of Christian leadership.

The youth leader who has several Bible verses which she regard as her favourites, highlighted Psalm 150 verse 6, which says: "Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord." She stressed that this verse of scripture encourages her to give God thanks for the breath, which He has lent her. She said that the fact that she has breath, she should at all times use it in worship and praise to God.

Johnson, who also has a singing ministry, said her favourite song is Rooted and Grounded in the name of the Lord. She explained that that song is her favourite because she is of the view that all those who follow Christ should be rooted and grounded in God, so that they can stay with Christ until He returns to take them home.

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