Over a long ministry career, Dr Kurt Johnson has pastored in local churches, and ministry departments in conferences, the North American Division and the General Conference. Partially retired, he continues to work part-time with the Voice of Prophecy and as coordinator of the church’s Bible correspondence schoolsworldwide, as an assistant director in the Sabbath School and Personal Ministries Department at the General Conference. He talked recently about his ministry and his books.
What got you started in writing?
In the late 1980s, I was conducting a lot of small-group Bible study leadership training events and had written a booklet on the topic. Review and Herald Publishing Association asked me to write a book on the topic of small groups as the Adventist Church did not have any books on the topic at that time. After I wrote my first book on small groups, I then wrote several sets of small group Bible study guides. I have written three books on leading small groups. The most popular was Small Groups for the End Time, which was printed in four languages with portions translated into several other languages. I still get requests for copies of that book.
Many of your books focus on practical ministry. What have your drawn on in writing these books and how important is technique to ministry?
I believe that God does not ask us as Christians to do the impossible—He always equips. He asks us to share the good news of eternal life with others, yet many people are not sure how to begin or how to share in simple ways with others. So, I have attempted through my writing to give the reader simple, concise and easy-to-understand ways to share their faith. Technique (instruction) is important as it helps people say, “Hey, I can do that!” I have gotten my material from personal experience, others that I have shared ministry with throughout the years, reading and research. I have tried a lot of different approaches over the years and I share what works best for me and others.
What makes The Great Controversy Study Guides useful to churches or small groups?
The Great Controversy is more than 600 pages—for most people, that is a lot of pages to read—and there are many key points to remember. My goal is to encourage one to read The Great Controversy, and to simplify the reading and study process. I provide background information, summarise key points, suggest what difference these points make in one’s life and then give the reader an opportunity to reflect about the “so what” personally or through small-group discussion. A person can read the study guides and quickly get an overview of the key points in a given chapter. I have had people tell me, after reading the study guide, that it gives them an excellent summary of the book and they are also encouraged to read the entire book.
What caught your attention in the story of Elijah for your new book Living a Spirit-filled Life (coming soon)?
Elijah lived a life of deep faith in God. His daily walk with God was filled with Spirit-led miracles. He walked so closely with God that he went to heaven without dying. That is exactly what each of us as Christians wants for ourselves. I share how Elijah lived each day with God and demonstrate that God will and wants to help each of us do the same. As a person reads this book, I want them to see how simple and practical it is to walk daily with God as Elijah did.
How do you hope your book encourages church members in their lives of faith?
My desire is that there will be mini-revivals in each reader’s life, so that the combination of individual mini-revivals will spark a broader spiritual revival within Adventism.
Books by Kurt Johnson are available from Adventist bookshops in Australia and New Zealand, or online.
Nathan Brown
