IBERIA PARISH — Little Zorah Baptist Church stands quietly on the edge of Jeanerette, a historic sanctuary dating back to the 1800s. But for Reverend Wilferd Johnson, it’s far more than a place of worship. It’s where he found purpose—and redemption.
“I am a pastor and I pastor one of the oldest African American churches in this area,” Johnson said. “Little Zorah has been in existence since the 1800s.”
Johnson’s journey to the pulpit began in a place few would expect; inside one of Louisiana’s toughest prisons. “I'm an ex-heroin addict, ex-cocaine addict, I'm an ex-murderer, I'm an ex this and that,” he said. “And while serving time in Angola, I met the best person I ever met in my life, in the personality of Jesus.”
Johnson spent 20 years behind bars—16 of those at Angola. There, he earned an associate degree in theological studies from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. But the real transformation, he says, wasn’t academic. “He said let him go! And it was like nothing I ever heard before,” Johnson recalled of a moment he describes as his spiritual breakthrough. “I felt the power of God and the chains were broken. Everything that bonded me, everything that trapped me was loosened.”
That spiritual awakening led to a literal release. After a review of his case, Johnson’s life sentence was overturned. He was re-sentenced to manslaughter, credited for time served, and released through a work release program.
“I made up my mind that I was not gonna come back when I get out,” he said. “I was gonna use what I experienced in prison to help others.”
Back home in Iberia Parish, Johnson wasn’t met with open arms at first. “My family didn’t embrace me, because prior to that I burned so many bridges.” But a friend encouraged him to visit Little Zorah Baptist Church—and it changed everything.
“In coming to this church I got all that I was looking for — the embracement, the love, the comforting, the understanding, not being judged,” he said. “My past was always being thrown in my face.” Eventually, the congregation not only welcomed him, they ordained him. Still, acceptance hasn’t come easy, he explains. “It’s been challenging. I haven’t won over everybody yet,” Johnson said. “The very community here is the one that I terrorized, sold dope, stole dope, put fear in people’s heart. I have to allow those changes that I made in Angola to manifest themselves.”
He’s also confronting a more personal challenge: keeping the church going. “I would not be telling the truth if I told you that there's been times that I thought it wasn't worth it,” he admitted. “But it’s because of God that we're still here.”
In addition to leading Little Zorah, Johnson founded “A New Chapter Push,” an organization run mostly by formerly incarcerated individuals, pastors, and ministers. The group operates across St. Mary, Iberia, St. Martin, and Vermilion parishes, helping others walk the path of change before it’s too late.
“Our organization embraces the new chapter in a person's life,” Johnson explained. “We try to help them manifest those changes before it’s too late.”
Years removed from his prison cell, Johnson continues working every day to prove that the man he was is not the man he is.
“I’ve also come to terms that in trials, there's a blessing,” he said.
