
125 Dowd Ave, Canton, CT 06019
(860) 693-8338
Services every Sunday at 10:00 AM

Rev. Amy Johnson
The Rev. Amy Johnson was born and raised in Northern Ohio. She spent her summers in the Thousand Island region of Northern New York State, where both of her parents were born and raised. All the members of Amy’s family have since moved from Ohio, but the Thousand Islands remains home to them.
Ordained ministry is a second career for Amy. Her first career was at Time Warner, Inc., in New York City. In her 10 years at Time Warner, Inc., she held various positions, culminating in the position of Editorial Operations Deputy at Sports Illustrated magazine. Amy left Sports Illustrated to return to undergraduate school at Providence College in Providence, RI. She graduated
as valedictorian from Providence College in June 1994, with a BA in Humanities.
In July 1994, Amy married Brian Johnson. While Amy was studying at Providence College, Brian was completing a MFA in Poetry at Brown University. Amy and Brian began attending the First Baptist Church in America while living in Providence. Neither of them had been raised as American Baptists, but Amy fell in love with the denomination as she learned about it. She became an active member at the church and began to wonder if she was called to ordained ministry. A year after they were married, Amy and Brian moved to New Haven, CT, so that Amy could attend Yale Divinity School. Brian began teaching at Southern Connecticut State University. He is a Professor in the English Department, teaching Composition and Creative Writing. Brian is, also, a published poet (Torch Lake & Other Poems).
Amy graduated from Yale Divinity School in June 1999. The summer after graduation, she served as Interim Co-pastor at South Church in New Britain, CT. In January 2000, she was called to serve as Pastor of the United Church of Stonington in Stonington, CT. In October 2000, she was ordained by the authority of the First Baptist Church in America. Her ordination was affirmed and recommended by the American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island in accordance with the polity of the American Baptist Churches of the United States of America.
Amy left her position as Pastor of the United Church of Stonington in October 2003 when she and Brian were awaiting the arrival from Korea of their second child so that she could stay at home with the children while they were infants and toddlers. Tula arrived in February 2004 to join her brother, Kiran, who is also from Korea. Today, Kiran is 21 years old and Tula is 19 years old.
In November 2007, Amy was called to serve as the Interim Pastor at the First Baptist Church of West Haven until a settled pastor was called in December 2011. In 2012, Amy served as Interim Associate Pastor at The University Church at Yale for three months. In Fall 2012, she began teaching at Southern Connecticut University (SCSU) as an Adjunct Professor. She began her pastorate at Canton Community Baptist Church in April 2013. Amy continues to teach and tutor at SCSU every fall semester and, also, tutors at the Gateway Community College Writing Center. Amy also has an Etsy Shop, "Beloved Compassion Arts & Crafts."
In addition to ministry, Amy’s interests include singing, gardening, crocheting, reading, film, dance, nature, and times of being just generally silly (especially with her children).
Amy is joyful at serving as Pastor of Canton Community Baptist Church. She has marveled over her years of ministry at the joy one feels when one’s gifts fit the work one does. These words from Psalm 139 often come to her: “O Lord, you have searched me and known me.... For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.... In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed.” Amy is grateful that God continually presents opportunities for her to use her gifts in service to God.