Rev. Johnson Dodla grew up in India where he received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Theology from both Trinity Christian College and Hindustan Bible College. He began his ministerial work as a Youth and Outreach Coordinator at Centenary Methodist Church in Hyderabad, AP, India. 

In 2000, Johnson moved to Leyland, England, where he served as a Youth and Community Worker at St. John’s Anglican Church. A year later, he migrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he enrolled at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. After graduation he worked for “The Pittsburgh Project”, a Christian community development organization that works with inner-city at-risk youth, before moving to Downingtown, where he served as Director of Youth Ministries at Hopewell United Methodist Church from 2005 to 2010. 

At Hopewell UMC, Johnson began his journey to be an Elder in the United Methodist Church, this led him to be enrolled at Palmer Theological Seminary for the Master of Divinity degree. Upon graduating from Palmer in 2010, he was appointed Pastor at Crossroads UMC in Exton, PA. Later that year Pastor Johnson led the efforts to create a newly formed congregation from the merger of Crossroads UMC with the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. He served Exton UMC till 2017. From 2017 to 2019 Pastor Johnson served as the Lead Pastor at Olivet UMC in Coatesville, PA. Since July of 2019 he is serving the good people of Mt. Hope UMC, Aston PA as their lead pastor. 

His wife Christyn (alumna of Eastern College) is a social worker with the Chester County Intermediate Unit, and they have four children (Samara, Elijah, Annika, and Josiah).