James Phillip Johnson was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma to Julius Marion and Sarah Caldonia (Donie) Johnson on January 26, 1922. He began preaching at sixteen years of age and conducted his first revival while he was a junior in high school. He graduated from Okmulgee High School in 1940. During his summers while in high school, he traveled throughout Oklahoma and Arkansas as an evangelist and was called "Oklahoma's Boy Preacher." Later, he studied for the ministry at Central Bible Institute in Springfield, Missouri and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisiana. He was ordained by the Assemblies of God when he was twenty-one years old. Phil served as a pastor of many churches in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Washington, Alaska and British Columbia, Canada. He led major building projects for First Assembly in New Orleans, Westminster Assembly in Seattle and Grace Fellowship, a church he founded in Tulsa. In addition, Phil was known as a teacher of preachers, instructing at Northwest Assemblies of God College in Kirkland, Washington, Trinity Bible College and Rhema Bible Training Institute in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He traveled extensively, visiting and ministering in approximately forty different countries. He and his wife, Barbara, spent five years teaching at Antioch Bible Training Center in Angeles City, Philippines. Later, they came out of retirement to serve twice as interim ministers of Brookhaven Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Tulsa, Oklahoma for five years. While publishing more than one hundred stories, articles and poems in about fifty religious and secular magazines, he also served as the editor of Faith Digest. While serving as editor, he conducted many "evangelist workshops" with Evangelists T.L. and Daisy Osborn. After retirement, he and his family lived in rural Rogers County, near Claremore, Oklahoma. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, of the home; two daughters, Joyce Wood and husband Peter of Colorado Springs, CO, and Kay Moody of Colorado Springs, CO; a son, Phil Jr.; an adopted son, Cooper Ray Phillips and his wife Paige of Claremore, OK; two step-children, Marla Carr and husband Bill of Bixby, OK and Victor Reynolds, Sr., and his wife Rethal of Tulsa, OK; fourteen grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; a loving extended family of nieces and nephews, as well as countless friends.
Funeral services will be held, at 2pm on Saturday, January 26, 2019, on Phil's 97th birthday, at Claremore Assembly, 2100 West Blue Starr Drive, Claremore, OK. 74017. Public visitation will be available Friday, January 25, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Moore Eastlawn Funeral Home.
In Lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Claremore Assembly's mission fund.

Moore's Eastlawn Chapel 918-622-1155