Marshall (MJ) Johnson
Director of Modern Service Music
MJ joined the Modern Worship Service in March of 2017 and has guided the Modern Worship Team faithfully as Music Director for our band Rising West and as Modern Worship Team Leader, supervising all aspects of Modern Worship @ The Corner. MJ was raised in a musical family and grew up in the Methodist church as his mother, Kay, served as Choir Director of St. Mark’s UMC in Raleigh throughout his childhood and later became an ordained minister. Summers at Lake Junaluska’s Music Week in his youth sparked a deeper passion for worship music that set him on a path to lifelong involvement in music ministry. After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from UNCG and a Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting from Ohio State University, MJ entered the classroom as a K-12 Music Educator and has achieved many accolades, including National Board Certification, the Grimsley High School Excellence in Teaching Award, and a Grimsley High School Yearbook Dedication, to name a few.
In addition to his work as an educator, MJ is an accomplished vocalist, and has performed in numerous world-class venues. MJ was blessed to sing with the internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble Chanticleer, with whom he received a Grammy nomination for the 2002 release “Our American Journey.” Still devotedly leading the Grimsley High School Vocal Music Department, he spends his precious free time with his wife and daughter and making music locally with his other band, Bandemic.