Eric and Janet Johnson

Eric Johnson
Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri
Member: Bellevue Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois
Birthday: April 18
Age at conversion: 11
Field: Mexico

"One of my strongest desires is to help teach Mexican Christians to reach their own people," says Eric Johnson.

Eric had a consistent Christian influence during his childhood 
and youth. His family moved several times but was always active in a local church. They attended Southern Baptist churches in Houston, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia, and a Baptist General Conference church in Boston. Eric attended Sunday school 
and youth activities regularly and asked Christ to be his Savior 
at age 11.

Along with other activities, Eric was a member of Boy Scouts, reaching the rank of Eagle. He played football and baseball and was on the track team. At 16, he began to work as a salesclerk and stock boy in a hardware store. Much of his time was also invested in playing the drums.

Eric earned a bachelor's degree at West Georgia College in Carrollton, Georgia. It was there that he discovered what it really meant to be a Christian. He gave Christ complete control of his life and was baptized a second time, feeling his earlier baptism had not been meaningful to him.

He became aware of a growing desire to attend seminary. His experiences as a summer missionary in Florida (which was where he met his wife, Janet) confirmed in his heart and mind that the Lord was leading him into the ministry.

During Eric's eight months between college graduation and starting classes at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, the Lord began to speak to Eric and Janet about missions. They were especially influenced by a film about the first Southern Baptist missionary to China. As his interest deepened, he became acutely aware of the need for missionaries.

After graduating from Bethel with an M.Div., Eric accepted a position as assistant pastor at Bellevue Baptist Church in Chicago. His duties included preaching, teaching, visitation, administration, counseling and working with the youth. He also played drums with a gospel choir that sang monthly at the church.

Eric and Janet applied to the Baptist General Conference Board of World Missions and were appointed to career service in June 1981 in Omaha, Nebraska. They arrived in Mexico City New Year's Eve 1982 and spent their first year in language study. Their first church planting efforts resulted in the formation of Elizur (God is our Rock) Baptist Church in Mexico City.

Eric and Janet continue to serve with enthusiasm in the world's largest city, Mexico City. Eric is deeply involved with weekly discipleship groups at one of the largest Baptist churches in Mexico City. He also oversees Evangelism Explosion clinics, training church members in evangelism. One of his greatest satisfactions is to see Christians whom he has discipled now becoming disciplers, establishing discipleship groups of their own.

Janet Johnson
Birthplace: Hannibal, Missouri
Member: Bellevue Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois
Birthday: November 30
Age at conversion: 15
Field: Mexico

"For many years I was not open to the idea of foreign missions. I felt that until everybody in my own country was a Christian, I couldn't leave and go somewhere else. Gradually, though, God laid on my heart a burden for overseas missions." --Janet (George) Johnson

As an only child, Janet was raised in the Southern Baptist Convention. Her parents were actively involved in church work. At age nine, she "went down the aisle," but it was not until she was 15 that she realized she had no assurance of salvation and then asked Christ to enter her life.

Music has always been one of Janet's main interests. She sang in her high school choir and was accompanist for a traveling choir during college. Other interests include swimming, biking, sewing, reading and cooking. She is a graduate of Hannibal/La Grange College and Oklahoma Baptist University and has a bachelor's degree in music education.

College brought her first big challenge for Christian growth. During those years, she began to learn about the Holy Spirit and the power He offers. She spent two summers as a counselor for Girls Auxiliary (Southern Baptist Convention) camps and two summers as a summer missionary. One of those, she worked with Backyard Bible Clubs in upstate New York. The other, she spent in St. Petersburg, Florida, witnessing on the beach and working in a Christian coffee house and with a recreation program. These experiences helped her to grow in faith, strengthening her desire to help others find new life in Christ.

While in Florida, Janet met Eric Johnson, who was also doing summer missionary work. They were married in June 1972, after Janet graduated from college. They moved to Carrollton, Georgia, where Eric finished his last year of college and then on to St. Paul, Minnesota, where Eric enrolled at Bethel Theological Seminary.

During those years Janet taught music--high school in Georgia and elementary school in Minnesota. When their 
two children were born, Angela in 1975 and Jeff in 1977, 
she worked out of their home, selling Tupperware and giving piano lessons.

After Eric graduated from seminary, he took a position as assistant pastor at Bellevue Baptist Church on Chicago's South Side. There, Janet had the opportunity to use her gift of hospitality, opening their home to people from the church.

The Johnson's applied for mission service with the Baptist General Conference Board of World Missions and were appointed at the BGC annual meeting in June 1981. They arrived in Mexico City Dec. 31, 1982 and spent their first year in language study.

Since those beginning years, Janet has found countless avenues for service. In addition to the joys of being a wife and mother, she continues to use her music gifts, teaching piano and laying foundations for music ministry in the lives of students at the Mexican Baptist Seminary (at least 20 churches throughout Mexico have pianists and/or choirs for worship as a result). She and Eric have enjoyed discipling new Christians and watching them become mature new leaders in the church.