The Shadow
Johnny Mize, Jr. who bears the name of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame slugger, Johnny Mize, serves as president of the Covington Ruritan Club and holds the position of bishop for five churches.
Born on Aug. 22, 1941, in Henry County, Va., Johnny, Jr., the son of Johnny Mize, Sr., moved with his mother, Margaret Daniel Mize, from Henry County to Covington where Johnny Mize, Sr. took a job with the Rayon Plant.
After graduating from Covington High School in 1958, Johnny, Jr. had trouble finding a job and returned to CHS to complete another year of high school in 1959.
After another year of schooling, he landed a job at the West Virginia Pulp & Paper Company and worked for the company from 1960-1970 as a journeyman.
Answering his call to the ministry, Johnny Jr. moved to Broadway, Va. where he founded the Church of God of Prophecy.
In 1974, he founded another Church of God of Prophecy Church in Harrisonburg, Va., and he founded another one by the same name in Monterey, Va.
In 1997, he was transferred to Johnson Creek, and he and his wife, JoAnn Cline, who graduated from Dunlap High School in 1961, the year the couple was married, settled down in Alleghany County.
Johnny, Jr. purchased the home his mother had built, and he and JoAnn have one daughter, Diana Lynn Pearce, 60; who lives in Fresno, Calif.
“Since the pandemic, our church has almost tripled in membership,” Johnny, Jr. remarked.
The Cornerstone Church in Covington across the street from Wendy’s is one of his Church of God of Prophecy churches, and the Community Church in Iron Gate is another one.
Recently, he presided over a Ruritan Club meeting in Iron Gate at Twink’s 220 Diner where Covington Police Chief Chris Smith spoke to the group about operations at the Covington Police Department.
Johnny Mize, the Major League Baseball slugger belted 2,011 base hits including his 359 home runs, batted in 1,337 runs and recorded a .312 career batting average. He was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.
Johnny, Jr. carries the Hall of Famer’s baseball card in his billfold as he goes about seeking to serve his community during the 52nd year of his ministry.
