Johnson, who was born in Harbor Beach and lived here until the second grade, will return to his hometown with his family to share experiences of ministry and how God has worked in their lives. The Johnson family will speak at the First Presbyterian Church on May 6, at 9:30 a.m. and the community is welcomed.
Johnson is the son of the late Bruce Johnson, who was listed as Missing In Action in Vietnam, and Kathryn Frisbie of Salina, Kansas. His grandmother, Florian Weiss, lives in Port Hope, and his aunt, Marge Ahrens, lives in Harbor Beach.
Johnson's life has taken many twists and turns since he left Harbor Beach. He was twice treated for alcohol and chemical dependency, once at age 19 and again at 24. It was the 12-step program that helped him turn his life around.
"It was in those early meetings that God reached out to me," Johnson said.
He learned that God can and will make a difference in your life if you let Him in.
Johnson said life was a struggle back then, some relating to his father's situation. He was fearful, angry, hurt and lacked trust.
"It wasn't until I really surrendered my life to Christ and let Him make me the man He wanted me to be that my life began to change in the direction he wanted me to go," Johnson said.
Now he uses his experiences, coupled with his success, to give credibility to his platform.
He and his family have been involved in a diverse ministry. Members of the Central Wesleyan Church of Holland, they have traveled across the world to share the Good News of Christ through their actions.
Margie and two of their children, Lauren, 13, and Brendon, 16, have traveled to Baku. They worked in a refugee camp with people displaced by the border war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, presenting a day camp for children.
In December of 2000, Bruce traveled with son, Brendon, to India. A friend oversees 130 churches there, but he felt there was a failure to impact the wealthier people of the country.
It was decided that golf might be used as a vehicle to connect with that segment of the population. Working under the auspices of the U.S. - India Leadership Foundation, Johnson's responsibility was to attract professional golfers and business leaders to part of an inaugural trip. In India, Johnson and his son played golf with generals, admirals, national golf champions and owners of some of the largest businesses in India. They golfed at some of the oldest golf courses in the world. Golf was the platform to build friendships, exchange ideas and concepts.
The group went to the five largest cities in India. They had a golf clinic in the morning with the professionals, followed by a tournament in the afternoon and a banquet at night.
It was at the banquet that Johnson had the opportunity to give testimony to Christ alive in His life and share his faith. The presentation was done in the concept of Christmas, familiar to the India as an event, rather than a religious occasion.
His wife traveled to Kiev, Ukraine, Budapest and Hungry in the spring of 1999 with Deaf Outreach Opportunity. The organization is initiating churches for the deaf, and Margie, who teaches the deaf, helped establish training centers for those people involved in that ministry.
In the early 1990s Johnson traveled to Moscow to help teach new churches how to disciple new believers in Christ, through Campus Crusade For Christ.
The First Presbyterian Church of Harbor Beach invites visitors to hear more details of the Johnson family's faith stories on May 6. The Johnson family also includes Lindsay, 10; Ryan, 8; and Hannah, 6.
ŠThe Times - Harbor Beach Edition 2001