From its inception, Johnson University has educated students for Christian ministry in local congregations. L.D. Campbell embodies the best qualities of effective church leadership: a gifted communicator, deeply compassionate pastor, and skilled leader and administrator. As an alumnus, he has inspired and mentored many students in ministry. As a board member, he has continued to cultivate and steward the core values of Johnson University.

Campbell, a Hampton, Tennessee native, graduated from Johnson Bible College in 1965, serving as junior and senior class president. He led First Church of Christ in Burlington, Kentucky, for over 38 years, overseeing remarkable growth in attendance, facilities, and outreach. As Pastor Emeritus, he remains a revered figure.

Campbell received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Johnson Bible College in 2011, and he actively contributed to the university's board of trustees for nearly four decades, including several years as chairman. He also served as a trustee for the Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Virginia. He's taught at Cincinnati Christian University and Haus Edelweiss in Vienna, Austria, and was a visiting scholar/preacher for the 1996 annual lectures on preaching at Johnson University. In 2003, Campbell and his wife Joyce received the Distinguished Alumni Award, and in 2010, he was named a visiting Eubanks Fellow. Now, he joins other outstanding alumni from our 34 Tennessee colleges and universities in the TICUA Hall of Fame!