Johnson has been on the faculty of Loyola University of Chicago's Institute for Pastoral Studies for the past six years. He has also taught in an adjunct capacity for NPTS, Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Chicago's Lutheran School of Theology and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard, Illinois.

A 1982 graduate of North Park University (then College), Johnson earned a Master of Divinity with emphasis in Theology from NPTS in 1986. He became an ordained Covenant minister in 1988. He and his wife, Susan, are the parents of five children and are members of North Park Covenant Church in Chicago. When he is not teaching, writing or parenting, Johnson is an avid runner who has competed in numerous marathons and triathlons.

Johnson served as an associate pastor at Broadway Covenant Church in Rockford, Illinois, and at the Evangelical Covenant Church of South Bend, Indiana, before heading to Loyola. While in South Bend, Johnson earned a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame in 1996.

Last year, Johnson edited a book of essays, The Conviction of Things Not Seen: Worship and Ministry in the 21st Century (Brazos Press), to which he contributed an essay using Willow Creek Community Church of Barrington, Illinois, as a case study entitled, "Disconnected Rituals: The Origins of the Seeker Service."

Johnson received a Wabash Fellowship in 2000-2001 for the promotion and development of technology in teaching theology, including a summer research grant. He is currently involved in a Wabash project to research pedagogical approaches to technology and teaching. He is assisting with a project developing a multimedia resource for teaching worship through an Eli Lilly Grant acquired by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship - the pilot project is occurring at Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church in Chicago.