Missionaries Richard and Marlys Johnson Retire

The Johnsons have served nearly their entire career as missionaries in Colombia under the Department of World Mission of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), since being called for missionary service at the 1976 Covenant Annual Meeting. (Accompanying shows the Johnsons being recognized by John Notehelfer of the Department of World Mission).

Members of the ECC of Lanyon, Iowa, the Johnsons have recently been working with Colombian leaders to develop cell groups for church planting and growth as well as helping with visitation, leading women's Bible studies and training leaders. The Johnsons have spent most of their career in Colombia with significant time spent in Medellin and Bogota. They also spent three years in Barranquilla.

In recent years, the Johnsons started a new congregation in Cartagena that has now grown to more than 200 under pastor Alvaro Escalon. Their work has been integral in the spiritual development of that part of the country as Colombia continues to struggle politically following a change in leadership.

"During the first months of the new president's term there have been some very strong and positive actions that are giving the people new hope," said Richard Johnson in an interview with Covenant Communications shortly before retiring. "Because of all the problems, people are more open to the Gospel than ever before in the history of Colombia."

Regarding their call to missionary service, Richard and Marlys noted that contacts with missionaries and experiences at Bible camps were among the influences in their direction of missionary service. "God, speaking through His Word, has been the strongest influence - to the extent that I couldn't ignore it any longer," stated Marlys Johnson in her ministry biography for the Department of World Mission. "When I think of people dying without Christ, all else seems secondary."