Rev. Dr. Kirk A. Johnson

The Rev. Dr. Kirk A. Johnson, known as Pastor Kirk, is the Settled Pastor of Christ Congregation in Princeton, NJ, and is an Assistant Professor of Justice Studies and Medical Humanities at Montclair State University. He received his Bachelor's in Religious Studies from Seton Hall University, a Master of Divinity (MDiv) from Drew Theological School, and his Doctorate in Medical Humanities (DMH) from Drew University.

Rev. Johnson has over 20 years of ministry experience serving in numerous capacities including Youth Pastor and Chaplain for Rutgers Protestant Campus Ministries. He is the recipient of the Cleveland Park Preaching Fellowship in Washington, DC, the John Heston Willey Preaching Prize, and a member of the United Church of Christ’s (UCC) New Generation Leadership Initiative. Rev. Johnson is the former Secretary of the UCC Central Atlantic Conference’s New Jersey Association and a member of the Board of Directors of the UCC's Central Atlantic Conference.

Dr. Johnson is a member of the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities, and the Atlantic Health Systems Bioethics Committee. He is the former Assistant Director of the Medical Humanities program at Drew University, and fellow emeritus of The American Heart Association’s Multicultural Initiatives Leadership Fellowship Program. Dr. Johnson has published articles in numerous journals and books. His recent books are "The Anti-Racism Resource Guide Volume One: Supporting Black Businesses and Economics" (Peculiar Capital, 2020) and “Medical Stigmata: Race, Medicine, and the Pursuit of Theological Liberation” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018).

​Rev. Johnson is affiliated with numerous social justice organizations and is the creator of the “Race Talk: Origins” and “Race Talk: Systems” courses. He is an avid New York Knicks, Mets, and Giants fan. Rev. Johnson enjoys spending time with his wife Stephanie, listening to music, experiencing the arts, reading, writing, and binge-watching his favorite shows.