Johnny grew up in the mountains of Ashe County. He has pastored several churches in NC and has been the pastor at Elkin Valley since 1996. Johnny received a bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University. He then earned a masters degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctoral degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is married to his wife Vicki who teaches fourth grade at Elkin Elementary. They have three children, Anna (Silva), Joel, and Josiah, and three grandchildren, Caleb, Camilla, and Calvin. He enjoys biking, hiking, and watching his Indy Colts play on Sunday.