LEWISBURG --The Rev. and Mrs. Jim Johnson celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary recently at a party hosted by their family.

The couple were married June 7, 1958, at Christ Lutheran Church in Conyngham. They both graduated from Black Creek Township High School in Rock Glen.

Mrs. Johnson, the former Elva Knelly, is the daughter of the late Willis and Edna Knelly, of Sugarloaf. She graduated from Hazleton State Hospital School of Nursing and worked as a registered nurse at Berwick Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital in Lancaster.

The Rev. Johnson is the son of the late Clair Johnson, of Rock Glen, and Clara Johnson, who lives at Buffalo Valley Lutheran Village in Lewisburg. He graduated from Bloomsburg State Teachers College and received the master of divinity degree from Lancaster Theological Seminary. He was ordained in the United Church of Christ on July 9, 1961, after which he served the Dushore, Overton, Elkland Township Charge until 1970. He was also an auxiliary Air Force chaplain for seven years.

The Johnsons moved to Lewisburg in 1970 where the Rev. Johnson served as pastor of St. John's United Church of Christ for 28 years, retiring in 1998.

The couple have one daughter, Dawn, who lives near Lancaster with her husband, Dr. Donald Diverio, and three children, Danika, Delanie and Darren. Their son, Eric, owns the Audio-Video Group in Frederick, Md., where he lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their twins, Evan and Katie.

Since 1980, Jim and Elva have hosted private group tours, helping people from 13 states and Canada become better acquainted with the life and culture of people in over 50 countries on six continents. Since retiring, the Johnsons live in Brookpark Farm in Lewisburg.