When you meet Minister Benetta Johnson (62), you immediately feel her warmth, honesty, and deep love for God. Today, she serves with the Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas (VOACC) Ministry, yet her path to this moment has held difficult seasons, unexpected grace, and a steady return to the God she never stopped talking to.
Raised in a community where substance use was woven into daily life, Benetta carried that reality with her into adulthood, including during her service in the U.S. Navy. As a young wife and mother, she and her husband tried to build a life while surrounded by substances that felt normal in their environment. But when crack cocaine spread through her community, the impact was devastating.
Even in those years, Benetta held on to her belief in God, though by the end she felt her connection to him fading. Prayers felt quiet. Her spirit felt distant. That loss of closeness frightened her more than anything she faced externally.
A mother of six, including two “bonus” children she lovingly claims, Benetta often felt torn between protecting her children and the chaos surrounding her. She remembers moments when she feared losing them or feared her choices would affect their safety. The responsibility she felt for her children would later become one of the forces that pushed her toward change.
Her turning point came in 2007. After a night when she intended not to return home, she found herself still standing after using for 24 hours. Shocked and unsettled, she went home and heard what she describes as a quiet but unmistakable voice telling her there was a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital she could go to. She called a friend, asked for a ride and admitted herself.
The next months were a whirlwind of inpatient treatment, detox, transitional housing and time at a Salvation Army shelter. She lost her job, her retirement savings and her financial stability. Yet step by step, she kept moving forward. She found a new government job, secured an apartment and brought her children back to live with her. Rebuilding trust took time, but it came.
“In straight 20 years, I relapsed once or twice, but I got right back on the wagon. I couldn’t chance that no more. Plus, the kids trusted me again. And my life was a lot better.” – Minister Benetta
Today, her children are thriving as adults with careers in fields like tax accounting, tattoo artistry and fashion. They look out for her, especially as she manages health challenges. Their closeness is one of the clearest signs to her of how far God has brought their family.
Outside of ministry, creativity is a major part of Benetta’s life. She speaks with joy about studying scripture.
“I love the Word. I’m just obsessed with that book. I can’t get enough of it.” – Minister Benetta
She also enjoys creating beauty with her hands. She went to nail school, became licensed, and now makes press-on nails, jewelry, and loves makeup. When she sets her vendor table at events, she often brings her creations to share her art and faith. Writing remains an outlet, from journaling to sermon preparation.
For years, she sensed a call to preaching ministry. She joined multiple church auxiliaries hoping one would fulfill that desire to serve. Conflicts and closed doors followed, and eventually she approached her pastor in tears, asking him to pray and help her understand what God was saying. After a season of classes and waiting, her pastor unexpectedly announced her initial sermon date. She preached her first sermon at 53 and has continued to learn and grow ever since.
Her journey eventually led her to VOACC. Her “big brother” in ministry, Minister Dan Carrera, invited her to a Ministry of Presence gathering, and the experience settled something in her spirit. The Ministry of Presence is a VOACC-led training that teaches community members how to be present with themselves, with others, and with God so they can serve and lead from a place of calm, connection, and compassion.
“I fell in love with VOA from then on, because it didn’t seem to have those old traditional attitudes,” she explains. The emphasis on mindfulness, being present, and caring for yourself while caring for others aligned with her own healing journey and spiritual growth.” – Minister Benetta
Today, Benetta is part of VOACC’s Ministry team and is in the Commissioned Minister process. She supports Ministry of Presence gatherings, offers prayer and encouragement and uses her lived experience to walk alongside those who feel unseen or overwhelmed. To her, ministry is about presence. It is about listening. It is about meeting people where they are and reminding them they are not alone.
“That’s why I am in love with the Lord, because there’s so many places I could have been dead. What kept me was nobody’s going to love them babies like I do. He kept telling me, ain’t nobody love like you. You leaving them to the wolves. That I couldn’t do.” – Minister Benetta
Benetta’s story reflects the heart of our ministry: that healing is possible, and no one is too far for God’s grace to reach them.
To learn more about VOACC’s ministry efforts and how you can get involved, visit https://www.voachesapeake.org/voaministry/.