Pastor Ron Johnson

I was raised in a small traditional church in a very small town (350 people) in central Illinois.  I was very active in church growing up, however what I realized later on in my life was that with all the religion I had, there was something missing.  As I grew up, I quit going to church except on Easter, Christmas, and special events like weddings and funerals. 

After I married Mandi, my High School sweetheart, she and I moved to a new community where I met a young Pastor who invited us to come and visit the small country church where he was serving.  He asked me to go to a weekend men’s retreat with him and reluctantly I agreed to go.  As we were driving, we had a discussion that started me down a road that would change my life forever.   We were talking on the topic of abortion.  He asked me what I thought about it and I told him my opinion.  He made a statement that later would challenge my thinking.  He said “I KNOW abortion is wrong in all situations” I responded by saying “boy, your pretty arrogant to speak for God aren’t you” He replied “ I KNOW it’s wrong because I KNOW God’s heart and the value He puts on life.”   Later, as I reflected on that conversation I thought to myself “how can a mere man know the heart of God”.  The concept was so foreign to me.  I had grown up in church, I knew all the Bible stories, I had even read most of the Bible, and he is telling me that a mere man can know the heart of God; that he can know the thoughts; or the way God thinks towards situations?  This troubled me for a long time.  I would have to say this conversation was a huge seed planted in my life that led me down a road of searching for God. 

Mandi and I began to attend New Life Community Church in Henry, IL where the fullness of Jesus’ message was preached.  I realized that with all the religion I had been exposed to, I had never truly known Jesus.  What I had experience up to that point was just living with “religion” (my definition of religion is man’s failed attempt to earn God’s favor by being good or performing good works).  I thought if I did my time in church, helped a few people on the path of life, that in the end my good deeds would out-way the bad ones and all would be good.  What I realized was that this is not what the scriptures teach at all.   (Ephesians 2:8-9).  We cannot be good enough to repay what we have done (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23).

I remember the day I walked down the aisle to the front of the church.  Pastor Tom came and asked me what I needed and I told him “I need to get right with God”  He prayed with me to accept Jesus as my Saviour and I have never been the same.  God by His Holy Spirit came to live within my heart that day .  I began to understand what the Pastor of that small country church was talking about.  As I spent time with God in prayer and reading the Bible, I began to know God’s heart.  I began to see God less like a stoic ruler of the universe (which was my previous understanding of God) and more like a loving Father that wanted to be personally involved in my life.  I learned that God desires nothing more than to have a relationship with us (Exodus 19:4).  It is our sin that keeps us from this relationship (Colossians 1:21-22 (NIV)) and through Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven and the punishment we deserve is paid in full. 

It was in this Church in Henry, IL that I felt the call to ministry.  I learned many foundational truths under the ministry, mentoring, and friendship of Pastor Thomas Schrock.  I learned the importance of confession of sin and repentance and how to walk in freedom from sin.

Through the course of time, Mandi and I moved to a new town and  started attending Faith Assembly of God in Peru, IL.  It was at this time that I began studying for ministry with Berean School of the Bible.  Under the ministry of Pastor Stephen Adamson I learned what it meant when the scripture says “David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.” Psalm 78:72 (NIV). 

In the fall of 2007, I began to Pastor Ottawa First Assembly.  Since this time my family and I have been so very blessed to be a part of what God is doing here. 

I pray you will consider visiting our church family here at Ottawa First Assembly. 

God’s Blessing to You!

Pastor Ron