Justin Johnson, St Timothy Geneseo, NY

Born: January 12, 1974

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

Family: Happily married to my wife Patty since 1998. We have 2 cats as well, Tori and Eddie (named after the first person we heard on the radio when we adopted them). We met while in college and worked at the same Science store. My wife is a Pre-School teacher

Education: Associate Degree from SUNY Orange

Bachelors Degree from SUNY New Paltz in Sociology/Social Work

M. Div from LTSP class of 2000

Ministry Experience:

• Many years as a camp counselor for city camps.

• Sunday school teacher and youth leader at my home congregations

• Youth Leader at Reformation LC in Media, PA (99-00)

• Youth and Family Pastor at Messiah in Greece (00-04)

• Pastor at St Timothy in Geneseo, NY (04- present)

• Genesee Finger Lakes Winter Weekend Chaplain

• Conference Council

• Synod Council

Call Story: I always say that I found Jesus in a flea market. I was unchurched until 9 years old. My parents and I happened to go to a church flea market at Good Shepherd in Brooklyn, NY. At the flea market, the church was advertising a new day camp that was starting that summer. My best friend would go to camp every year, so I was lonely during the summer, so my parents signed me up. I took the bus to the camp every morning and just loved it. Turns out the counselors and of course the pastor were part of the Sunday school ministry. So, I started coming to Sunday school. One day, the Pastor, Pr. Koons came and invited me to church. Well, that was it, I loved it. The church was like a big family. I started becoming a church rat, popping in every now and then “just to hang.” Pr Koons was really nice about this and started taking me places with him, mostly on visits. It was then that I decided to become a pastor. I was baptized, confirmed, and communed all within the next years.

Sadly though, right in the middle of my formation, I moved to Stamford, CT and attended church there. It was not the same place. The pastor was retiring, the congregation was much older, and the youth group was me and a 5 year old. So, one day I left and didn’t return for many years. It was at this time that I realized how much was missing when I didn’t have Jesus.

Well, I moved again to Wappingers Falls, NY and got a call from Pr Koons out of the blue. He asked if I still wanted to be a pastor. I sort of did, but felt that if churches were like CT, then I didn’t. He told me about a church St John’s Poughkeepsie. I walked in hesitantly. I was instantly greeted by the vicar there. I thought, “well this is alright, but no commitments.” Then my pew mates welcomed me, then the pastor, Pr John Heller, with grandchild under his arm, welcomed me. So, I came back and sat down with Pr Heller. Well, within two Sundays I had volunteered to be a 6^th grade teacher, a youth leader, VBS, whatever I could do. God had led me to the right place to confirm my calling.

I went to seminary right after HS and was greeted with some resistance. I was one of two “pipe liners” and things were difficult. It was the first time I had received a C ever, I was struggling with my candidacy committee, and I was told by one professor that I would never make it as a pastor and that I should leave now. I am saying this not to criticize the seminary, but to show how stumbling blocks can build up a call and how God reaffirmed my call in the midst of these hard times. The ultimate came after CPE, which I did not enjoy at all for lots of reasons, my candidacy committee was ready to reject me in the second step, if it weren’t for Pr Tim Wengert affirming my call. He took me under his wing for a year, where we talked theology. He helped me by sitting one on one and asking me theological questions. What I learned from him and learned for myself was that in seminary, I was trying to speak like a book theologian (which I wasn’t). He taught me how to speak in a language that was my own. This was the biggest growth of them all because that has helped shape my ministry in a big way. So, call stories even continue in seminary!

Ministry Style: I am really down to earth and like to meet people where they are. I look at Jesus who came to where people were and sat down with them, not lecturing, but listening. My motto is, “It’s not about me, it’s not about you, it’s about God and God’s mission.”

Gifts for Ministry: My gifts are teaching/preaching, discernment, and wisdom.

Hobbies: watching movies, playing video games, reading, and debating politics.

Project Connect is an initiative of the Eastern Cluster of Lutheran Seminaries. Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, and the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Funded by a generous grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc.