May 20, 2013
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- A house fire in Memphis has killed an elderly religious leader.
The Commercial Appeal reported Bishop Otis Johnson died in the fire Thursday morning.
Johnson, who was 80, was a bishop of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, where he had remained active despite ailments related to aging.
New Hope pastor Rev. Jimmy Lee Chandler Jr. said Johnson preached a vigorous sermon last Sunday on Jonah in the whale.
Johnson's body was found in a rear bedroom of the home after the flames were extinguished shortly after 6 a.m. Thursday.
A firefighter was treated for second-degree burns sustained while fighting the fire, which authorities believe was started by faulty electrical wiring.
Johnson is survived by eight children and 18 grandchildren.
