News

Darrell W. Johnson, Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Regent College has resigned from his full-time post at the College to accept the call of Vancouver's First Baptist church to return to pastoral ministry. He will assume the position of Senior Minister at First Baptist September of this year, but will continue to teach one class per semester at Regent College for at least one year.

Johnson states of this decision: “This is not how Sharon and I were writing the script…I was not looking to leave Regent. It was a ‘pull’ that would not let go, that after much prayer seemed of the Lord. A ‘pull’ to a particular people, a particular pulpit, in a particular part of the city. I do not think any other opportunity would have made me consider leaving Regent.”

Regent College wishes to thank Darrell for nine years of dedicated and passionate service to the College, and for his profound contribution to the shaping of Regent’s Master of Divinity (MDiv) program. Johnson has been an integral part of the Regent College faculty and has contributed significantly to the character and life of the College.

While Johnson is excited to begin this new challenge, he states: “I am going to miss the day-in day-out life of the College. I have loved teaching at Regent… I will miss the first-class faculty, who bless me deeply. I will miss the interaction with the wonderfully gifted students God brings us. I will miss the staff who care so deeply and give so generously of themselves for the mission of Regent.”

Regent College views Johnson’s resignation as a significant loss to the College, but supports his decision and is excited to discover what God holds in store for him, for Regent College and for Regent’s MDiv program. The College will begin a search process to replace Johnson in the fall of 2009 and, trusting in God for this next step of the process, affirms that the MDiv at Regent College will continue to be a world class academic program that also carries the unique brand of Regent College.

Rod Wilson, President of Regent College, states: “Periodically, in the life of an institution, God provides a uniquely gifted individual to not just hold a position but to have a significant influence on the lives of many people. Darrell Johnson has been one of those people. As he moves into another area of the kingdom we thank God: for Darrell and Sharon, for the way he has impacted all of us through Darrell, for the good work he will do through Darrell at First Baptist and for the way he will lead us as a college through this next season.”

Regent College
Dal Schindell, Director of Publications
[email protected]