SENIOR PASTOR | FLOWER ACRES BAPTIST CHURCH

Senior Pastor Johnny Murphy has been preaching the gospel at Flower Acres Baptist Church for 20 years. A natural leader, Pastor Murphy oversees the operations of the church while leading, nurturing, and guiding his congregation. Flower Acres’ Food Pantry has been a blessing to many in the Four States area by providing food to those in our community who need it the most. Whether filling souls or filling stomachs, Flower Acres’ ministry is showing the love of God to all..

Why did you decide to be a pastor?

I had no intentions of becoming a Christian, much less a preacher, or heaven forbid, a pastor. I was not raised in church or around church, but through a chain of events, on March 3, 1998, I found myself in a church walking down an aisle to receive a forgiveness I did not know I even needed. The very next week, I heard the same voice that called me down that aisle to be saved tell me to surrender my life to preach a gospel that I had just met myself.

How did the food pantry that Flower Acres does come about?

The food pantry was started when we asked the question, “What does God want to do here at Flower Acres Church?” From that prayer meeting, ladies in the church started bringing canned food from their homes making up food bags and giving them to those in need. Fonda Newsom, Eve Johnson, and my wife, Freida, and others continued to do that for several years. We became a part of Harvest Regional Food Bank’s food distribution system and worked with them for several years. We then partnered with East Texas Food Bank out of Tyler, and now they are our sole provider, and we are one of their largest distributors. Last year, during the pandemic, we gave approximately five million pounds of food away and fed around 25,000 families.

Name one thing about your profession that people might not know.

God has called me to love people unconditionally. When He sent me here to Flower Acres, I asked God to give me a love for the people. To have a love for the people, one has to love them unconditionally. You have to help them when there seems to be no hope, to be willing to give, to get up and go in the wee hours of the morning, to pray, and to just listen. Pastors are just people, too.

Who has helped you become the person you are today, and how did they inspire you?

My pastor, Steve Rice, has helped me so much. Without him, I would have never become a preacher, must less a pastor. He helped me to become licensed and stood by me. His love for others, the gospel, and the Lord Jesus Christ gave me a desire to have what he had.

My wife, Frieda, also helped me. She was saved at 9 years old and has served the Lord and never wavered in her conviction. Her passion for the word of God and others outweigh anything I have or will ever have. Her service to this church is exhausting even to me, and I am the pastor. Her strength is what has turned the tide so many times. Her wisdom surpasses all others including all preachers that I know. She is the one and only Proverbs 31 woman I know.

Tell us one thing you can’t do without on Thanksgiving Day and explain why.

My wife’s dressing. We have a tradition of asking all who are present, including children, to tell one thing they are thankful for each year.

What do you love most about the Four States area?

The people. I have traveled all over America and even to Brazil but the folks here are real and downhome folks.

What lessons have you learned from the pandemic?

I learned two things: first, God is faithful. Second, fear is one of the greatest tools of the devil.

How would you like for others to remember you?

I would like to be remembered simply as a man of God.

Feature Stories

Johnny Murphy | Feeding the Soul