[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 99 (Tuesday, July 8, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1416]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING PASTOR G.L. JOHNSON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 8, 2003

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Pastor G.L. 
Johnson for his 40 years of ministry with Peoples Church in Fresno, 
California. He will be honored at a special dinner for civic and 
community leaders to be held Saturday, June 28th.
  Pastor Johnson came to Fresno as the Associate Director of the Latin 
American Orphanage. In 1963, he accepted the position of Senior Pastor 
at Peoples Church, having had over ten years of pastoral experience. 
Under his leadership, People's Church has grown to become the largest 
Protestant Church in Central California, with an average Sunday 
attendance of 4,500. The Johnson Scholarship Fund has also been 
established in his honor to assist young people with the cost of 
education prior to entering full-time ministry.
  Pastor Johnson has poured his life into Fresno for the sake of the 
Kingdom of God. He derives great joy in knowing that God has used his 
ministry to bring thousands to know Jesus Christ. The mission of 
Peoples Church seems to coincide with that of Pastor Johnson's personal 
mission, to ``Reach . . . Win . . . Train . . . Send.'' It has been 
said that Pastor Johnson was to Peoples Church ``. . . what Babe Ruth 
was to baseball, George Washington to the United States, and the 
Apostle Paul to the Gentiles.''
  Pastor Johnson's respect and admiration go beyond the walls of 
Peoples Church. In 1997, he was listed by the Fresno Bee as one of 75 
people who made a positive contribution to life in the Central Valley. 
He and the late Pastor Bufe Karraker gathered church and local leaders 
to tackle the issue of crime in Fresno, forming the NoName Fellowship, 
and reached beyond the church family to touch lives of the citizens in 
the city. Pastor Johnson has been the recipient of numerous awards such 
as the Distinguished Service Award of the City of Fresno, ``Mayor of 
Fresno, For the Day'' in 1973 and 1987, and listed in ``Who's Who'' for 
Fresno and American Religion. He also sits on several boards, including 
the Sequoia Council of Boy Scouts of America, Fresno Leadership 
Foundation, Police Activities League, and Northern California National 
Association of Evangelicals.
  Pastor Johnson has spoken at numerous Christian Universities and 
conferences across the country. In addition to his ministry in the 
United States, he has ministered to large crowds in Seoul, Korea; to 
Russian leaders following the fall of Communism; and to Christians in 
Romania and China. Pastor Johnson is also the author of several 
booklets and articles including How to Conduct a Stewardship Campaign 
in the Local Church.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Pastor G.L. Johnson for his 
years of ministry and outstanding personal contributions to the 
community of Fresno. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing 
Pastor Johnson many years of continued success.

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