By Kayla Rinker
Contributing Writer
REPUBLIC – “Initially, I wanted to decline the invitation because the convention is one of the rare opportunities for me to be fed, rather than do the feeding,” said Randy Johnson, pastor at Calvary Baptist Church here. “However, I made a commitment to the Lord long ago that if given the opportunity to share the Gospel, I would be faithful to do so.”
Johnson has been given the task to preach the convention sermon at 11:40 a.m. Oct. 26 at the 176th annual meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) at the Springfield Expo Center.
Johnson was born and raised in St. Louis. He graduated from Southwest Baptist University (SBU) and received a Master of Religious Education degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
“I surrendered to the ministry during my junior year of college, not knowing that journey would lead to the pastorate,” Johnson said. “I thought I would end up doing recreation ministry or youth ministry, but God had other plans.”
After serving as a youth pastor and associate pastor, Johnson said God led him to First Baptist Church, Kimberling City, where he served as pastor for 21 years. He has been at Calvary since May of 2009.
Throughout his ministry, Johnson has also served the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) at the association, state and national levels. He is a trustee of SBU and a member of the Executive Committee of the SBC.
He is looking forward to speaking to his fellow Missouri Baptists.
“I am planning to preach out of the Old Testament book of Malachi,” Johnson said. “It is a book rich in understanding for our current day. Believers today are busier than they’ve ever been, but in the midst of their hectic schedules, many have grown spiritually bored. Unless the Lord redirects me, I plan on using Malachi to point out the marks of spiritual boredom.”
He said the message found in Malachi is important for all believers.
“It is a wake-up call to walk with the Lord intimately and on a daily basis,” Johnson said. “Being about the Father’s business is much more than simply having a cluttered church calendar.”
Johnson and his wife, Janice, have been married for 33 years and have two grown sons, Jason and Josh, one daughter-in-law, Bekah, and one grandson, Jack.