Johnny K. Hughes was raised with a respect and an admiration for his Native American heritage. Even as a child, he enjoyed building relationships with his adopted Cherokee family, the Littlejohns. It is this God-given favor that has allowed him to bond with the elders as well as the youth throughout the various reservations. Hughes was eager to step alongside his father in ministry and has been instrumental in the development of many of IMNA's programs and projects. In January 2009, the torch was officially passed from father to son, and now he has assumed the responsibility of taking IMNA, Inc. to the next level. As the Executive Director, he has started an intense concentration on reaching the Native American youth for Christ. He is an Ordained Bishop through the Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee.

Hughes was an honor graduate of Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, TN and continued his education at Cleveland State Community College. He graduated with honors in 1982, majoring in  photography and graphic arts. He began working as the photographer for the Cleveland Daily Banner in 1982 and won several Tennessee State Associated Press Awards for photography in his five years of service for the newspaper. He started his own business, Hughes Photographics in 1984, and subsequently taught photography classes at Cleveland State Community College and Lee University for four years. Johnny and his wife, Becky, were married in 1987. They have a daughter, Elizabeth, who graduated from Lee University in 2014, and a son, Christopher, who graduated from Lee University in 2017.

 Founder

James A. Hughes has always had a love and a burden upon his heart for the Native American, his native people. Born and raised in North Georgia and of Cherokee descent, he began his ministry in 1964. He is ordained by the Church of God and has served as an evangelist for almost 50 years. He also pastored in the state of Georgia for six years. One morning, in 1967, as he was sat up on the edge of his bed, he received a vision from God. It was as if his bedroom wall opened up displaying the faces of thousands of American Indians. He strongly felt God speaking to his spirit, "Take my Gospel to your people." This he began doing immediately. 

Following his vision, he began reaching out to the Cherokee and the Lumbee in North Carolina, and also the indigenous people of Central America. In 1998, James had the opportunity to take his ministry west of the Mississippi. His vision and ministry birthed what is now known as Indian Ministries of North America, Inc.  (IMNA). In January 2000, IMNA began to receive donations of food, clothing and household items to be delivered to the reservations. This was the beginning of the IMNA benevolence program. In the fall of 2002, the ministry incorporated and was recognized as a 501c3 non-profit ministry. Since then, the ministry has expanded its ministry to Native Americans in Alabama, Arizona, Minnesota, Mississippi,  Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, North and South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Virginia.

He and his wife, Imojean, have been married since 1957 and have two children and three grandchildren. Their daughter, Angela, currently resides in Cleveland, Tennessee. She has one son, Caleb. Their son, Johnny is now the Executive Director/President of IMNA, Inc. Johnny has been officially involved with IMNA since 1999.