A MINNESOTA MINISTER NEVER
LET HIS STRUGGLE WITH DYSLEXIA
HOLD HIM BACK.
JOHN LED THREE CHURCHES IN
THE STATE AND HAD A REMARKABLE
ABILITY TO SHARE HIS JOY.
AND JOHN HAD THAT PASSION
FOR MAKING LIFE COUNT, DOING
THOSE THINGS WHICH WOULD LIFT
UP OTHER PEOPLE.
MOST RECENTLY HE WAS THE
SENIOR PASTORATE THE LUTHERAN
CHURCH IN MINNEAPOLIS.
EVEN THOUGH HIS TIME THERE WAS
SHORT IT WAS EXTREMELY
VALUABLE.
THE PASTOR ARRIVED IN 2014
AFTER THE CHURCH'S SENIOR
PASTOR OF 40 YEARS SUDDENLY
DIED.
HE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO WORK IN
HELPING MEMBERS GRIEVE AND
CREATING NEW WAYS NOR THEM TO
CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER.
WHAT'S HERE 8 MONTHS WHEN HE
WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THIS STAGE 4
BRAIN TUMOR THAT WAS
INOPERABLE.
THEY LOST ITS SENIOR PASTOR
A SECOND TIME IN THE LAST FEW
YEARS.
JUST AS THIS CONGREGATION
WAS HEALING AND COMING TOGETHER
THIS HAPPENED AGAIN.
AND DENNIS JOHNSON SAID HE
MADE HIS TWO-YEAR HEALTH BATTLE
AT THAT TEACHING TOOL.
HE WAS CONTINUING TO MINISTER
TO US THROUGH HIS CARING BRING
POSTS IN WHICH HE WAS
ENCOURAGING US.
AND WEEKS BEFORE HE DIED, HE
POSTED A VIDEO ABOUT LIVING
LIFE TO THE FULLEST.
I LOVE LIFE, AND I KNOW
WE'RE ALL TERMINAL.
I THINK WE COULD EASILY SAY
ABOUT JOHN WHAT I'VE HEARD
OTHERS SAY ABOUT GREAT PEOPLE,
HE TAUGHT US HOW TO LIVE AND
HOW TO DIE.
HIS WIFE SAID, HE MADE THE
DECISION TO DONATE HIS BRAIN TO
THE MAYO CLINIC.
HIS TYPE OF TUMOR WAS SO RARE
LITTLE RESEARCH WAS LISTED.
HE SAID SINCE LITTLE WAS KNOWN
HE WANTED SOMETHING GOOD TO
HELP.
THEY REMEMBER THE TALL MAN
WITH LONG ARMS WHO LIKED TO
GREET THEM UPON THEIR WORDS AND
ENDED WITH THESE WORDS.
LOOK UPWARD, TRAVEL ONWARD
AND DO NOT BE AFRAID.
ANGELA DAVIS, WCCO4 NEWS.
ANGELA SAYS BECAUSE OF HIS
DYSLEXIA THE PASTOR WOULD
MEMORIZE HIS SERMONS AND DO A
LOT OF STORY TELLING BECAUSE HE
WAS UNABLE TO DO REFER TO HIS
NOTES.
