John Johnson

John Johnson was born and raised in New Mexico. He attended Eastern New Mexico University on a vocal scholarship. Having taught choir and guitar in the public school for 5 years, John then went into full-time ministry, being ordained in St. Louis as a worship leader and pastor of New Covenant Church from 1982-1994. While there, he co-founded Dayspring School of the Arts, which now has over 1000 students. During his years in St. Louis, he also taught worship seminars., training worship leaders and worship teams in the U.S. and the U.K.

John has a passion for worship, mentoring and training, and writing new songs. He preaches the gospel of the Kingdom dramatically through the Word, and he will even break into song while preaching to better illustrate a point in the sermon. John seeks to impart the wisdom he has gained through the years to every believer; He believes each person has a unique and wonderful role in the holy priesthood unto God and an important contribution as they gather to worship. 

John currently serves as head of the worship leadership division of Visible Music College in Memphis, TN, as well as offering his unique talent and wisdom to churches across the world. He and his wife Martha have been married since 1972 and have four grown children and twelve grandchildren.

EDUCATION:

D.R.E. (Emphasis Sacred Music), Friends International Christian University

M.R.E. (Emphasis Sacred Music), Friends International Christian University

B.M.E, Eastern New Mexico University

John’s Story

“During a very tumultuous time in my life, in the fall of 1974, I surrendered my life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  There was no other choice for me, if I wanted to maintain any semblance of sanity.   

Previous to this crisis, I had always lived a life that revolved around music.  Music was prominent in my large family, and my brothers and sisters sang regularly in our father’s small church.  

Finding success, I decided to major in voice and received a vocal scholarship to Eastern New Mexico University.  When the Lord invaded my heart, I realized that my gifts and talents were given so I could exalt His name and not my own. I sensed from the Lord that He wanted me to lead His people in worship. I didn’t know anything about worship leading. In the seventies, no one knew much about leading people in worship. What it meant for me was, worship the Lord and if anyone wants to join in, they were certainly welcome to do so. I didn’t know the difference between leading songs and using songs to lead people. I didn’t know how to invite people to join me in worship or to ‘enter in’ as we call it now.  I had no idea there were many other ways to worship besides singing. 

“As if all this was not difficult enough, I realized that standing before a congregation and leading them was exposing all my weaknesses, spiritually, mentally, emotionally and relationally. I had no idea of the spiritual battle I was moving into.”

Fortunately, I soon discovered that it was not my talents and skills that caused advance, but it was my weakness and sense of inadequacy that drove me to my knees and humbled me enough to cry out to the Lord for His help.”

That’s the shorthand version of my life, and now for the basic facts:  My name is John H. Johnson and I am married to Martha Louise Johnson who I met in 1970 and married in 1972.  We have four children, John Asher, Christina Renee, Rachel Nicole and Erin Michelle.  We have a total of twelve grandchildren ages ranging from 21 years old down to 3 years.  

I have had the privilege of being a worship facilitator, worship team leader, children’s pastor, assistant pastor and senior pastor through these forty or more years.  Currently, I am the head of the worship leadership division of Visible Music College in Memphis, Tennessee. I have written curriculum and have had the opportunity to use it in the classroom so I have been able to verify its effectiveness in training future worship leaders.”