After years of service with TBDR, Murray and Marjorie Johnson get assistance following ‘Fern’
Longtime Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers Murray and Marjorie Johnson, were among the thousands of Tennesseans impacted by Winter Storm Fern. Fittingly, volunteers from TBDR provided help for the couple. — Photo by Elizabeth Holmes / TBDR
MOUNT JULIET — Longtime Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers Murray and Marjorie Johnson have brought the hope and love of Jesus Christ to countless victims of tragedy since they first learned of the ministry nearly 30 years ago.
They have seen the tears of joy and heard the testimonies about how what they were doing as volunteers impacted the lives of others.
Now, they can relate to it as a couple who have been ministered to by TBDR volunteers.
The Johnsons were among hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans affected by Winter Storm Fern which swept through Tennessee Jan 25-27, bringing historic amounts of ice to the state. They were without electricity for eight days.
The couple, members of First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, had 26 trees on their property. Twenty of them had damage and three trees had to be cut down, Johnson said.
Ice caused one large tree limb to fall on their house but it did not cause damage, he added.
Johnson said he and his wife never thought they would need DR assistance one day. “We’ve always been able to go and help other people. We never thought that one day we’d have to call Wes (Wes Jones, TBDR director) and say we need help.”
He acknowledged his request received a quick response, but he stressed that people in critical need be given priority. “I told him we’d be here when everybody else gets taken care of.”
Fallen trees and branches were a common sight in Tennessee following Winter Storm Fern. Longtime TBDR volunteers Murray and Marjorie Johnson had 20 trees on their property damaged by the storm.
A DR team from East Tennessee came to their house and removed the limb off their roof and cleared the brush and debris from their property in one day, Johnson said. In addition, they helped three of their neighbors on the same day.
“With all they have done in disaster relief, the servers became the served after the ice storm,” Jones said.
Reflections on their ministry
Johnson, 84, and Marjorie, 83, first learned about DR in 1998 when a tornado swept through Nashville causing major damage. They were members of Two Rivers Baptist Church at that time and when they arrived at church one Sunday, they saw DR volunteers cooking meals for people who needed food.
Recently retired, they began attending DR training events across the state and became involved in mass feeding and chainsaw recovery. They went out on their first callout in 2004 following Hurricane Ivan which caused extensive damage in Florida and Alabama. They served on the feeding unit in Atmore, Ala.
Marjorie vividly remembers an encounter with a local resident on that first callout. She noted a woman came up to her and said, “We are glad you are here, but why are you here?” Marjorie replied, “We are here because this is what God calls us to do. We’re supposed to take care of each other. That is why we’re here.
“There’s no other purpose,” she said.
Over the years, they estimated they have responded to between 10-15 disasters. Their last onsite response was during the Gatlinburg fires in 2016. Johnson laughed that age has been a factor. “I could go and probably be good for one day and then somebody would have to come and get me,” he laughed.
Pictured, from left, are Don Owen, First Baptist Church, Morristown, Kaye and John Thomas, FBC Sevierville, Marjorie and Murray Johnson, FBC Hendesonville, Gerrie and Chuck Thacker, FBC Galletin, Karen and Tommy Wilson, FBC Dresden and Butch Porch, Woodland Baptist Church, Brownsville. The group members were the recipients of the 2023 Eagle Award.(Not pictured are Nonnie Owen and Faye Porch). — Photo by Dan Ferrell
Yet, the couple continue to be involved in disaster relief. In 2006 they began to serve weekly in the DR office (now at the Missions Mobilization Center in Mount Juliet) to put volunteers into our system, run backgrounds, make ID badges and do mailouts.
Twenty years later, they are still doing it. In addition, they assist Elizabeth Holmes (DR ministry assistant) with registration at training events and Johnson still teaches a mass feeding class.
“It’s something we can do and we still enjoy doing it. We see our friends in disaster relief and meet new volunteers,” he added.
Johnson said that during his training he tells those in attendance that “we are standing on the shoulders of those who came before us in disaster relief. Now, I’m looking for some people to stand on my shoulders so the work of disaster relief can continue.”
In 2023, the Johnsons, along with five other longtime DR volunteer couples, were presented the Eagle Award during the Tennessee Baptist Convention annual convention in Chattanooga. The award is given annually to outstanding Baptist laity in Tennessee.
The Johnsons said they consider volunteers they have served with over the years as extended family.
“We still keep track of some of them,” he said.
Marjorie said disaster relief will always be a part of their life even when they become unable to physically serve. “Even if we can’t go, we can keep praying for those who are still able to go and do,” she said. B&R — Wilkey served as editor of the Baptist and Reflector for 26 years prior to retiring at the end of 2024. He is continuing to contribute to the B&R as a freelance writer.
