Johnny, or Johnny-cakes as he is called in the book, has been with the gang for several years however due to circumstances he finds himself injured within an abandoned church. Within the church he and Ponyboy stay however as they are out one day pre-teens find a way into the church and catch it on fire, when one is trapped inside Johnny rushes in to save him. In the end Johnny realizes that to "stay gold" means to do the right thing- in this case to leave the gang's way of life. At least that is how I see it.
