G. K. Butterfield: “I rise this morning to pay tribute to a lifelong friend, the Reverend Dr. Dorothy Sharpe Johnson, an accomplished…”

“I rise this morning to pay tribute to a lifelong friend, the Reverend Dr. Dorothy Sharpe Johnson, an accomplished pastor, educator and author who passed from labor to reward on 31 May 2011 after a long illness, a long illness that did not curtail her work. A native of Wilson County, North Carolina, Dr. Johnson resided in Matthews, North Carolina, which is near the City of Charlotte, with her beloved husband of more than 50 years, Retired AME Zion Bishop Joseph Johnson. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Johnson was the fifth of eight children born to Mark Benjamin and Clara Farmer Sharpe. After finishing Speight High School at the age of 15, she went on to earn her bachelor's degree from North Carolina Central University, known at that time as North Carolina College at Durham. Later in life, she earned a master's degree in religious education and a Doctor of Divinity degree from the James Walker Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, North Carolina, on the campus of historic Livingstone College, and she received a Doctor of Ministry degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Charlotte. Over the years, Dr. Johnson found many ways to serve her community as a public school teacher, school administrator, social worker, and even a seamstress. She was particularly devoted to her faith and church. In 1979, Dr. Johnson was elected by the AME Zion General Conference to oversee the youth mission.…”