Meet Marcus Johnson of Your Soul Care Community in Southwest Atlanta – Adair Park

Marcus, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
So, to make a long story short – I got really involved in The Church while in college (2000) which ultimately led to me accepting my calling into ministry and becoming a licensed and ordained minister within the Christian Church. While serving, I honestly never really felt comfortable in The Church but realized it was something I was called to. After reaching a breaking point in 2009, I decided to leave the church I was at to pursue the seminary experience in hopes of answering questions that I had always had about life but never felt free enough to explore them within the four walls of church – Why is Christianity so exclusive? Does hell really exist? Why isn’t it okay to party and drink if I’m a minister? Those are just a few of the questions that had plagued my adult life.

After graduating seminary and doing a lot of research on why people, especially Black people attend church and leave church, I started an event called “The Conversation”. Like me, people needed to talk and ask the questions that they had pondered for so long in a safe space without being judged and with liquid courage – adult cocktails. We began this experience in the safe and transactional space of my home because it was definitely not happening in most churches. From raw sex to the existence of God, we have and will discuss it all at The Conversation.

Three years after our first conversation event, we are currently offering pastoral services to people who have no church affiliation. I have officiated weddings and ceremonies (all lifestyles), counseled couples and individuals, facilitated sessions for youth, young adults and seniors on topics ranging from acceptance to loneliness. I also create a curriculum for organizations to engage their community in healthy and efficient ways. Our biggest accomplishment is becoming a 501c3 non-profit organization in November of 2018.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road but then again what Atlanta roads are smooth? I left my full-time job back in May of 2017 to focus on business and it just seems like I can’t keep up financially. There seems to always be lack because of my sacrifice for Your Soul Care Community. Also, I fractured the strongest bone in my body, my femur just two months after leaving my job leaving me to a long recovery. I couldn’t focus on business as I had to learn to walk again and become strong enough to run again as I am an avid runner.

While there have been tons of smooth seasons, there have been a lot of struggle ones. Right now, my family and I are in the biggest fight of our lives as my dad sits in the hospital indefinitely awaiting a heart transplant. We knew that this day would come, we just didn’t know when. My family and I are forced to make sacrifices in order to be there for him and commit to the heart transplant process. As a result, I have had to halt some employment opportunities and take a sabbatical from YSCC programming.

One of our favorite quotes is “It is our soul to take care of” and I decided to do just that. I had to temporarily walk away from a lot of people and stuff to take care of my dad and ultimately myself. While I understand that many people do not understand it, right now it’s now my job to explain it. I’ve learned in caring for my parents, once I’m okay and they are stable  I’ll be in a space to share more but, not until then.  And this is how I have learned to take care of my soul during these current times.

Bumpy roads create ministry opportunities for me and I have learned to just allow them.

Please tell us about Your Soul Care Community – what should we know?
Your Soul Care Community, Inc. is a global collective of individuals who desire to experience God and spirituality in non-traditional and unorthodox ways. We offer experiences and services to people of all kind who want more than what the traditional church offers within its four walls. He help people to really tap into their life’s purpose via narrative therapy. We offer safe spaces for people to ask the hard questions about life and God in hopes of gleaning from others who have traveled the same road.

There are other experiences like YSCC but nothing that is able to offer a wide array of services that we offer combined with the experiences people are able to take advantage of. We allow people to come into our spaces as they are. We are nothing like traditional church many of us have come to know. Our goal is to offer comfort so that attendees are able to show up as their full selves.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Marion Lessington is also a Soul Care Companion. He is my partner and left-hand man. He’s been here from the start and pushes me and the community when the road is oftentimes rocky. He is truly a soldier.

We also have a board of directors and a creative design team that is very active in making YSCC the community it is today. It’s hard to name names because you don’t want to miss someone.