Covenant News

Barbara Johnson to Retire in December

CHICAGO, IL (November 6, 2001) - Barbara Johnson, a longtime missionary and staff member in the Department of World Mission of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), will retire December 14 after 39 years of service.

A reception in her honor will be held at administrative offices in Chicago at 2:45 p.m. that day.

Beginning in 1964, Johnson served 25 years as a missionary in Africa before taking a position as a denominational administrator. Johnson, a member of North Park Covenant Church in Chicago, is currently coordinator of short-term mission and Covenant Mission Connection for World Mission.

Johnson has always had a heart for mission work, writing in her missionary profile, "I was always going to be a medical missionary from the time I was eight and committed my life to the Lord. I forgot the 'medical part' for a time, but God reminded me after high school about my promise, so He led me on to nurse's training and college. No visions, no dreams, no dramatic voices in my call; there just never was any other consideration."

Originally a missionary in the Presbyterian Church, Johnson was called to service in Congo by the ECC 1964 Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She served in Congo (later Zaire) as a teacher and administrator for the Karawa station's nursing school and supervised public health students in practical field experience in villages around Karawa.

Johnson was Field Representative for the mission from 1981 until joining the Department of World Mission as director for Africa and short-term ministries in 1987. She earned a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from North Park Theological Seminary in 1989, having received her nursing education and training earlier from the Highland Hospital School of Nursing in Oakland, California, and San Francisco State College in San Francisco.

At the December 14 reception, Johnson will be presented with a book of letters from those who have been blessed by her work and ministry to others. Letters, cards and photos are being collected.

The Department of World Mission asks that submissions for inclusion in the book be received by December 4. They should be sent to Lana Heinrich, Department of World Mission, 5101 N. Francisco Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625. Email responses can be sent to lana.heinrich@covchurch.org.

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