Johnnie Colemon (February 18, 1920 – December 23, 2014) was an influential minister and teacher in the

New Thought The New Thought movement (also Higher Thought) is a spiritual movement that coalesced in the United States in the early 19th century. New Thought was seen by its adherents as succeeding "ancient thought", accumulated wisdom and philosophy from ...

movement. She is often referred to as the “First Lady of New Thought”. Colemon founded several large organizations within the African-American

movement, including Christ Universal Temple (CUT)Johnnie Colmon
, CUT Founder Biography, accessed July 21, 2014. and the

Universal Foundation for Better Living The Universal Foundation for Better Living, or UFBL, is a New Thought denomination that was founded in 1974 by Johnnie Colemon in Chicago, Illinois. Colemon founded the foundation as an association for African American New Thought ministers after ...

(UFBL).UFBL Leadership, accessed July 21, 2014
. The Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary is named in her honor. Colemon was born to John and Lula Haley in

Centerville, Alabama Centerville is an unincorporated community in Conecuh County, Alabama Conecuh County () is a county located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the population was 11,597. Its county seat is Evergr ...

on February 18, 1920 but her family moved to

Columbus, Mississippi Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County, on the eastern border of Mississippi, United States, located primarily east, but also north and northeast of the Tombigbee River, which is also part of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterwa ...

at an early age, and she identified more with that location as her birthplace, leading others to misidentify Columbus, Mississippi as her place of origin. She attended Union Academy High School and graduated from

Wiley College Wiley College is a private historically black college in Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is one of the oldest predominantly black col ...

with a Bachelor of Arts in 1943. She then taught at schools in Mississippi and Chicago. After being diagnosed with an incurable disease, Colemon had a crisis of faith deciding to attend

Unity School of Christianity Unity, known informally as Unity Church, is an organization founded by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in 1889. It grew out of Transcendentalism and became part of the New Thought movement. Unity is known for its '' Daily Word'' devotional publi ...

. Colemon was the third Black student ordained as a Unity Minister in 1956. While a student at Unity School, Colemon like all Black students at the time, was told she could not live on campus. For two years, Colemon commuted 15 miles each way to the YWCA in Kansas City before the campus was desegregated. Colemon founded Christ Unity Temple, later Christ Universal Temple, a Chicago-based

megachurch A megachurch is a church with an unusually large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities, usually Protestant or Evangelical. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research defines a megachurch as any Protestant C ...

. In 1974 Colemon founded the

, in response to racism experienced as part of Unity, "an international association of Bible-based New Thought Christian churches, centers, and study groups." She received a

Candace Award The Candace Award is an award that was given from 1982 to 1992 by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW) to "Black role models of uncommon distinction who have set a standard of excellence for young people of all races". Kandake, Candace ...

from the

National Coalition of 100 Black Women The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. (NCBW) is a non-profit volunteer organization for African American women. Its members address common issues in their communities, families and personal lives, promoting gender and racial equity. Hi ...

in 1987. Christ Universal Temple under Colemon became the largest and one of the most influential churches in Chicago. When built it became the first mega church on the South Side. The church was the site of the funeral of Chicago Mayor

Harold Washington Harold Lee Washington (April 15, 1922 – November 25, 1987) was an American lawyer and politician who was the 51st Mayor of Chicago. Washington became the first African American to be elected as the city's mayor in April 1983. He served as ma ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

spoke at the church both as senator and president. Colemon served as Director of the Chicago Port Authority and Commissioner of the Chicago Transit Authority Oversight Committee, recognition as one of Chicago’s Living Legends by the Institute for African American Youth Development. She was honored by DuSable Museum as an African American History Maker. Colemon retired in 2006. She died at Mercy Hospital in Chicago on December 23, 2014 at the age of 94. She is interred in Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago.

References

External links

Universal Foundation for Better Living (UFBL)

Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary

Christ Universal Temple
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colemon, Johnnie 1920 births 2014 deaths American theologians Wiley College alumni People from Conecuh County, Alabama People from Columbus, Mississippi New Thought people Religious leaders from Chicago