For Selma Area Food Bank’s new director, food is a ministry  

For Ryan Johnson, the new executive director of the Selma Area Food Bank, food is a ministry.   

Johnson and his family moved from Decatur to Dixon’s Mills in Marengo County in 2018 to pastor Central Baptist Church. As he got more involved in the community, Johnson said he saw the need in Marengo and Clarke counties for a food-based ministry. 

In early 2020, Johnson put out feelers on Facebook looking for a church that had a food pantry ministry. Through that, Johnson began working with a church in Clarke County. That was about the time the COVID-19 pandemic hit, “and we got involved in some of the COVID food distribution programs,” Johnson said. 

That’s how Johnson learned about the Selma Area Food Bank, and he arranged to make the food pantry at Central Baptist Church an agency of the Selma operation. 

Johnson and others from Central Baptist travelled to Selma on a regular basis to pick up their food order. Executive Director Jeff Harrison and Operations Manager Jennifer Martin approached Johnson about joining the board representing Marengo County. 

While he was on the board, Johnson learned the details of how the Selma Area Food Bank and its associated food pantries work. “And one thing led to another, and here I am now,” Johnson said. 

Johnson said along with pastoring at Central Baptist, he worked in Thomasville at the Clarke County Career Readiness Center and the public library and museum. 

Even though he liked the jobs in Thomasville, he said he could not turn down “the opportunity to come here (the Selma Area Food Bank) and to be a part of the vision that truly I had already experienced from the other side as an agency leader.” 

Johnson said becoming part of the Selma Area Food Bank network is a tremendous advantage to food pantries like the one at Central Baptist. 

“We thought maybe we could do 10,000 pounds of food,” Johnson said of this church food pantry. With the help of the Selma Area Food Bank, they distribute about six times that much food, and some agencies do more, he said. 

There are 57 food agencies in Dallas, Marengo, Perry and Wilcox counties served by the Selma Area Food Bank. “Probably two thirds of those are churches, but we also have other nonprofits,” Johnson said. The newest, Faith in Action in Uniontown, was added three months ago. 

Johnson said that there is a big push to attract more volunteers. “Our volunteers are aging, and we want to hit a whole new generation of young people, middle-aged people and families,” Johnson said.  

There is also a continued effort to get the word out. “It’s hard to believe that after being here for 32 years, there’s still people out there that don’t know what the Selma Area Food Bank does,” he said. 

Johnson and his wife Becky have been married for 22 years and have three daughters, Ashley, Aubrey and Aden. Ashley is a college freshman at Pensacola Christian College, “and the other two terrorize their mother at home school,” Johnson joked. He said Becky is still active with the food pantry at Central Baptist. 

Harrison is not fully retired, according to Johnson. “He’s transitioned back onto the board,” Johnson said. "He is kind of our community liaison.” Johnson said Harrison is checking on mobile pantries, and he even cut the crass at the Food Bank building recently. 

If anyone needs community service hours or is just interested in volunteering, there is more information on the Selma Area Food Bank website, www.selmafoodbank.com or call 334-872-4111.