Senior Pastor Stephen Johnson
7.21.20 — Connie Maxwell Children’s Home has welcomed new Senior Pastor Stephen Johnson. With a strong background of ministering to others, Johnson serves on the Executive Leadership Team at Connie Maxwell and will play a key role in leading future spiritual initiatives as Senior Pastor of Connie Maxwell Baptist Church.
While he officially joined the Connie Maxwell family in April 2020, he has had a relationship with the ministry since the early 2000s. Johnson’s wife, Kassi, volunteered at the children’s home in 2004 as a summer missionary and fell in love with helping children and families. Over the years, their family has always known that they wanted to be a part of this loving ministry. When the opportunity opened, and after years of prayer for this position, Johnson knew this is where God was leading them.
Johnson has a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Communication and a Minor in Psychology from Jacksonville State University, Alabama. He also attended Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina where he earned a Master of Divinity degree. He plans to one day continue his education with a doctorate degree in an area that would be helpful in ministering to the students at Connie Maxwell. He comes to Connie Maxwell Children’s Home with a vast range of experience and love for children. His ministry experience includes:
- Senior Pastor, Ehrhardt Baptist Church, Ehrhardt, SC
- Student Pastor, Eden Westside Baptist Church, Pell City, AL
- Associate Pastor of Students, Church at Chelsea Westover, Westover, AL
- Minister to Students, First Baptist Church, Claxton, GA
- MFuge Youth Counselor
“I always knew I would be in ministry,” said Johnson, recalling how his desire to teach started at a very young age. He looks forward to sharing God’s love and healing with the children and families at Connie Maxwell in his new role. Understanding the struggles that many have, he hopes they will gain strength from one of his favorite verses found in James 1:2-4: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” “We all face trials,” Johnson said. “In the short term or long term, what’s important is that we learn to persevere.”
Johnson also gathers inspiration from other leaders, such as William Carey, an English Baptist missionary and Reformed Baptist minister, known as the “father of modern missions” in the early 1800s. Johnson reminds himself of the long journey Carey faced as a missionary, spending seven years in India before finding one person who was ready to accept Jesus as their savior. “With perseverance, Carey knew God had a plan even though it was not always answered on his time,” said Johnson.
When asked what he was most passionate about, Johnson quickly answered, “discipleship— life change.” Johnson is determined to bring life change through ministry into the hearts of Connie Maxwell’s children and families. “It is important for our children as well as the cottage parents, staff, even the church members more than anything — more than even the ministry that we do for these kids, that we are labeled as Christ-centered. Jesus first. I believe if our priorities line up as Jesus first, then our impact will last longer. What we do is through Jesus and His power at work in us. By showing Jesus first, we will bring positive life change to our children.”
Stephen Johnson and wife Kassi have three sons, James (10), Jude (7), Joah (5), and newborn daughter Josie Mae.
