Life of missionary, educator Gordon Johnston celebrated
Retired missionary Gordon Johnston passed away May 27. He was 77.
Gordon and his wife, Pat, served the Church of the Nazarene in missions for 34 years in Lebanon, Jordan, and Papua New Guinea before retiring in June 2003. Gordon was an ordained minister, holding a bachelor’s degree from Pasadena College (now Point Loma Nazarene University) and a master’s degree from Point Loma Nazarene College (PLNU). In addition to his missions service, he pastored the Riverside Drive and West Valley Churches of the Nazarene in California.
The Johnstons were assigned to Lebanon in 1969 but were forced to evacuate in December 1975 when civil war erupted. Six months later they were reassigned to Jordan. In 1981 they were transferred to Papua New Guinea, where both joined the teaching staff of Wahgi Valley Nazarene Bible College. During their service in Papua New Guinea, Gordon also served as church growth and evangelism director for the field while Pat directed Victory Books Publishing Company.
After serving 14 years in Papua New Guinea, the couple returned to Amman, Jordan, in 1995, where Gordon directed the Eastern Mediterranean Nazarene Bible College and Pat founded and directed Spring of Life Publications, and served as director of Arabic publications for the Eastern Mediterranean Field. Pat had a passion for writing and as a freelance writer, publishing articles in Holiness Today/Herald of Holiness, World Mission Magazine, and Come Ye Apart. She also authored three missionary books.
Pat preceded her husband in death November 6.
Gordon's memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. July 25 at Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene, 3700 E. Sierra Madre Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91107.