Meet Our Pastors
Rev. Doug Robinson Johnson
Senior Pastor
Reverend Doug Robinson-Johnson was ordained Deacon in the Louisiana Conference where he served as youth pastor in two congregations while receiving a BS in Political Science from United Methodist affiliated Centenary College of Louisiana. He earned a Master of Divinity Degree from the Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, and was ordained Elder in the Northern Illinois Conference. He met his wife Erica in college and they attended seminary together, eventually moving to the New England Conference where, as co-pastors, they helped four churches north of Boston merge into one faith community with two outreach sites, urban and suburban.
Prior to his appointment as Senior Pastor of National UMC, Doug was senior pastor of the United Parish of Auburndale, a federation of United Church of Christ and United Methodist congregations in the Boston suburb of Newton, Massachusetts, where he was also president of the Interfaith Clergy Association and Chair of the New England Conference Council on Christian Unity and Interreligious Relationships. Pastor Doug’s ministry has included internship at Northwestern University’s Alice Millar Chapel, Clinical Pastoral Education at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Houston, Texas, and A Christian Ministry in the Yellowstone National Park. But he considers most formative ministry among the people of Holy Covenant UMC in Chicago, Illinois. Holy Covenant had intentionally called only female clergy since 1975, working to end gender discrimination. Pastor Doug was the first male clergy called in twenty-five years! Similarly, Holy Covenant was among the earliest United Methodist Reconciling Congregations, actively working to end LGBTQ discrimination. Doug remains committed to the earliest dream of the Reconciling Congregations Program, a vision of liberation for all who are oppressed by systems of domination, including the oppressors themselves.
Doug’s partner Erica Robinson-Johnson commutes to DC from her continuing work as Director of Connectional Ministries for the New England Conference and as Assistant to Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar. Their only son Evan is a student of journalism at the Medill School of Northwestern University. The family has been vacationing each year in the DC area since their son was small, so they are pleased to finally call this place home!
Rev. Janet Craswell
Minister of Discipleship
As Minister of Discipleship at National UMC, Janet is responsible for overseeing learning programs for all ages, preschool through adult. She is an ordained United Methodist Deacon, and the former Chair of the Order of Deacons of the Baltimore-Washington Conference.
Previously, Janet served as Minister of Spiritual Formation at Salem UMC in Brookeville, Maryland. Before entering ministry, Janet worked in the field of international development studies as an academic journal editor and an anti-apartheid activist. Janet is excited about Christian education and spiritual formation as tools to equip Christians to live out our faith in the world. She especially enjoys storytelling and play-filled, imaginative ways of sharing the Gospel with children and adults.
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Janet has lived in the DC metro area since 1985. She has a BA in Political Science and German from the University of Puget Sound, an MA in International Relations/African Studies from Johns Hopkins University, and an MA in Theology from Wesley Theological Seminary. She lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband, Gene Beye. They have two young adult sons, David and Noah.
Rev. Dr. Rachel Livingston, MDiv
Pastor of Congregational Care
A third-generation minister, Rachel is a provisional elder in the United Methodist and is looking forward to serving as the Pastor of Congregational Care at National United Methodist Church.
Rachel earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University and a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary.
A scholar, Rachel completed her Doctor of Ministry at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, in May 2022. Her research explores connecting to young adults and communities through activism and community organizing. She is devoted to issues that seek out justice and build Beloved Community that is rooted in the love of Jesus Christ.
Locating herself in the Wesleyan tradition, Rev. Livingston believes that the church has a responsibility to nurture persons in both personal holiness and social responsibility. She maintains that one is not only called to a church but also the community. Therefore, one of her ministry goals is to find various ways to connect church and community. This is evidenced in her work as a community organizer for the Delaware Repeal Project, that sought to end the death penalty in Delaware, and as Executive Director for The Children's Defense Fund Freedom School at St. Paul's Baptist Church in Philadelphia, PA, which sought not only promote literacy but encourage young people to make a difference in the world around them.
She has a strong passion for working with young people and Young Adults as she previously served as the Youth and Young Adult Director at Towson United Methodist Church. While there she developed a contemporary worship service that was created by and for young adults. Her desire to work with Young Adults directed her toward her doctoral research that sought to meet Young Adults where they are. She noticed that Young Adults were becoming a disappearing generation within the church, yet very involved in the movements of activism to make a difference in the world. This led to exploring ministry that allows Young Adults to learn community organizing principles and lead the church in activism and connecting with the surrounding community.
Rev. Dr. Rachel B. Livingston is a native of Wilmington, DE, and now calls the Maryland-DC-Metropolitan area her home.
She lives by the mantra of the United Methodist Hymn #536: “Take the name of Jesus with you,” which has been a family song to remind us that throughout life we must take Jesus along the journey.