In 1999, Elder Marcus A. Johnson, Sr. heard God’s Divine mandate to shepherd His sheep. He often described feeling a cloak being placed around his shoulder as he was evangelizing in Baltimore and other states. This occurrence happened so often until he asked the Lord the meaning of this phenomenon. As God revealed that he was called to shepherd as a local Pastor, Elder Johnson accepted the call. He received confirmation and counsel from Bishop Monroe R. Saunders, Sr., his then spiritual father and leader, who assigned him to a small ministry in Southeast Baltimore. On December 5, 1999, New Harvest Ministries, Inc. was birthed in the presence of 14 trustees. And the power of the Holy Spirit christened the opening service.
“And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” Acts 2:47. New Harvest, an independent, inner-city, multi-cultural ministry, understood the Great Commission of Christ to His church. Embarking upon outreach ministry in the prisons, on college campuses, at rescue missions, and to refugees, drug addicts, prostitutes, and others, ongoing ministry to the vulnerable and marginalized was established. With a commitment to soul-winning, members grabbed the vision of their leader and touched people in need.
With two building expansions in 2001 and the purchase of the adjacent lot just a couple of years ago, at times the current facilities appear to be bursting at the seams. But the church’s historic location dates back to previous decades as the Baltimore Revival Center and the Golden Lamp Christian Center, when revival emerged on the streets of Baltimore. And this is the same site that God ordained for the inception of the ministry.
In more than 16 years, much has been accomplished to accommodate the continued needs of a rapidly growing congregation under the leadership of Bishop Marcus A. Johnson, Sr. There are well-developed In-Reach ministries for Men, Women, Youth, and New members; Up-Reach ministries through choirs, bands, worship teams, and liturgical dance; and regular discipleship and training opportunities through the biweekly Biblical Academy. But the harvest of these thriving ministries has been reaped through consistent community outreach locally through community clean-ups (2002), Saturday English language classes for Latinos (2007), non-perishable food and clothing drives (since 2009), and participation in the Days of Hope activities (since 2012). International Out-Reach efforts have helped to sponsor a missionary to Africa (since 2009) as well as Bishop Johnson’s missionary trips to Cuba, Uruguay, and Africa.
New Harvest Ministries is reaping a kingdom harvest for Christ.