Rev. Selena M. Johnson has been serving in the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church since 2012. Pastor Selena, as she likes to be called, has served four very unique and wonderful congregations since that time. She is a second-career pastor who worked as an architect for 20 years. She currently serves as senior pastor at Mt. Zion UMC (Georgetown) in Washington, DC, where she was appointed in July of 2019. Mt. Zion, founded in 1816, is the oldest African American congregation in the nation’s capital!

Pastor Selena was born and raised in Bridgeport, CT. Her architectural career included being promoted to associate at an internationally recognized firm. Other successes include graduating from M.I.T. and going on to U.C. Berkeley to earn a Masters in architecture. She became a registered architect in 1996. After being called into ministry, she completed her Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in 2014 and was ordained a full elder in the UMC in 2017.

Racial healing in America has been her calling for a long time. Her prayer is that the body of Christ would celebrate diversity at a time when people are so afraid of anyone not like themselves. This is why she is not afraid to speak and preach about this issue especially as relates to faith and the church.

In 2006 her first book, The Sin of Racism: How to be Set Free was published. As a black liberation theologian, Pastor Selena believes that soul salvation and social justice going hand in hand. Jesus saves! He saves our souls and also liberates us from earthly oppression. Pastor Selena believes that everything we do should be done in love, just as Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 22:36-40. Love of God and love of neighbor are the greatest commandments.

Pastor Selena is married to the Rev. Dr. Paul W. Johnson. They have two children, Wesley and Rachel. Her hobbies include teaching yoga, fitness and writing.