| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | Johnson, Clara |
| Title: | Clara Johnson Photographs |
| Dates: | 1920-1980 |
| Extent: | 0.40 linear feet (1 container) |
| Abstract: | Clara Johnson (1900-1993) was a minister in the Fire Baptized Holiness church in Cleveland, Ohio, and founder and pastor of Highlight Fire Baptized Holiness Church in Maple Heights for 35 years. She was also the founder and teacher at the Ruth and Esther Bible College which was run out of her Cleveland, Ohio, home. The collection consists of 261 black and white and color photographs. |
| PG Number | PG 609 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English |
Clara Lucil Johnson (1900-1993) was one of the first African American female ministers in Cleveland, Ohio, and the founder of Highlight Fire Baptized Holiness Church in Maple Heights which was established during the late 1950s. The Fire Baptized Holiness Church of God of the Americas is a predominantly African-American Holiness-Pentecostal Christian denomination based in the United States. Originating when the African American members of the integrated Fire-Baptized Holiness Church withdrew to form their own organization, the church was founded at Greer, South Carolina in 1908.
Born Clara Davidson in Asheville, North Carolina, to George and Ada (Taylor), Clara came to Cleveland in 1918 and became a day worker. She was ordained as a minister in 1920 and spent several years as a junior pastor at Athens Fire Baptized Holiness Church in Cleveland.
Reverend Johnson spent much of her time in the field work, which involved traveling around the Cleveland area and preaching at tent meetings. While on field work in Maple Heights, she decided to start a church there. For a few years Rev. Johnson conducted services out of the basement of the home of early church members Mr. and Mrs. James E. Rice on Lafayette Avenue. The Highlight FBH Church, located at 5665 Adams Avenue, was built in 1959. Rev. Johnson was pastor for 35 years until failing eyesight forced her to step down.
Rev. Johnson also taught at and ran the Ruth and Esther Bible College for over 30 years out of her home in Cleveland. She taught until shortly before her death, training future ministers.
Rev. Johnson married Alex H. Johnson (died 1978) in 1923 and they had two sons, Edward and Alexander. Rev. Johnson is buried in Highland Park Cemetery.
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Clara Johnson
The Clara Johnson Photographs, ca. 1920s-ca. 1980s and undated, consist of 261 black and white and color photographs.
This collection will be useful to researchers studying the history of the African American community and religion in Cleveland and Maple Heights, Ohio, in the last half of the twentieth century. Those studying the history of Highlight Fire Baptized Holiness Church in Maple Heights, including its early meetings in the home of the Rice family, the construction of the church building, and the leadership of Clara and Alex Johnson will find this collection particularly useful. The collection also documents the students, classes, and events held at the Ruth and Esther Bible College that was run out of Clara Johnson's home on Quebec Street in Cleveland, Ohio. Those studying the history of women in northeast Ohio, particularly those who served in leadership and ministerial positions within the Fire Baptized Holiness denomination and its Bible colleges will also find this collection useful.
None.
Related MaterialThe researcher should also consult MS 5263 Clara Johnson Papers.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] PG 609 Clara Johnson Photographs, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
These photographs were removed from MS 5263 Clara Johnson Papers. Gift of April McGhee in 1995.
Processed by Margaret Burzynski-Bays in 2014.
Clara Johnson Photographs ca. 1920s-ca. 1980s undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Asheville, South Carolina, views, including Capadocia Fire Baptized Holiness Church and Steven Lee School 1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Athens Fire Baptized Holiness Church, Cleveland, Ohio, Sunday School students, junior church, junior choir, and other group portraits 1950s | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Baptisms, Lake Erie and Ashbury Church pool, views ca. 1940s-1950s | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Fuller Normal School, Greenville, South Carolina, group portrait of graduates and view of building 1944 1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Group and individual portraits, identified and unidentified 1940s-1970s undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Highlight Fire Baptized Holiness Church, Maple Heights, Ohio, group portraits and views of anniversaries and other identified events and programs 1960-1966 | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Highlight Fire Baptized Holiness Church, Maple Heights, Ohio, group portraits and views of anniversaries and other identified events and programs 1967-1969 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Highlight Fire Baptized Holiness Church, Maple Heights, Ohio, group portraits and views of anniversaries and other identified events and programs 1970-1979 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Highlight Fire Baptized Holiness Church, Maple Heights, Ohio, views of building and groundbreaking 1959-1965 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Highlight Fire Baptized Holiness Church, Maple Heights, Ohio, group portraits of Sunday School classes ca. 1980s | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Highlight Fire Baptized Holiness Church, Maple Heights, Ohio, unidentified group portraits taken at events 1962 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 12 | Highlight Fire Baptized Holiness Church, Maple Heights, Ohio, group portraits at unidentified wedding ca. 1970s | |||||||||
| 1 | 13 | Johnson family, group and individual portraits, including Clara Johnson, Alex Johnson, and Johnson children ca. 1920s-1974 | |||||||||
| 1 | 14 | Quebec Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, home of Clara and Alex Johnson, views 1960-1962 | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 | Ruth and Esther Bible College, group and individual portraits of graduates and views of classes and events ca. 1950s-1970s undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Scrapbook pages with group portraits of Johnson family and views of Johnson family home; and group portraits and views of Highlight Fire Baptized Holiness Church events and programs ca. 1930s-1969 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 17 | Worship service, unidentified, group portraits and views 1957 | |||||||||