by Carla Lefebvre

 

This was no ordinary service. On July 25, 2026, the Roundup SDA church filled to standing room only, including members from the Lewistown church, all come to witness the ordination ceremony of their beloved pastor, Jason Johnson.

 

Of course, that is not where his calling started. It began years ago with a gradual, deepening conviction. Jason ran from the call for 8 long years. “But when I couldn’t run away any longer,” he said, “I finally told God, ‘Ok, You open the doors and I will follow wherever You lead!’  That was 10 years ago, and He has been opening doors ever since.”

 

In 2022, Jason, along with his wife Ashley and their three kids, received a call to serve in Montana. Over the last few years, Jason has clearly demonstrated the reality of his calling in reaching many souls for Jesus.

 

So it wasn’t surprising when the church was crowded with eager supporters for the service: church members, conference officers, friends, and relatives. Elder Jim Jenkins, president of the Montana Conference and Elder David Brown, pastor of the Superior/Missoula churches, officiated.

 

The ordination service was preceded by a moving sermon by Elder Jim Jenkins, built around the text, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). He affirmed the role of every person working for God—the call of ministry for every believer—while still recognizing the formal call to full-time gospel ministry for those whom God has set apart for this sacred work.

 

Elder Brown, Jason’s wife, Ashley, and local elders Rudy Fallang and Neil Rauch, were then asked to come to the front and surround Jason as Elder David Brown delivered a solemn ordination charge:

“My friend, God called you to ministry. Now. . . the Lord has moved upon the heart of His church to recognize and publicly affirm your call to ministry by the act and rite of ordination. . . . God has set you in the body as an under-shepherd, and one who accepts this calling of God to shepherd His flock is called to fully embrace this call without looking back—this is a lifelong commitment. . . . Your entire energy, time, talents, are to be directed to your work. There is no turning back. No side lines are to divert your attention or dilute your influence. . . . We encourage you to press on. . . until you hear the Master say, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant: . . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.’"

 

After the Charge, those surrounding Jason laid their hands on him while Elder Jenkins offered the prayer of ordination. He then handed Elder Jason Johnson his ordination certificate. 

 

Elder Brown later recounted: “One of Jason’s distinctive gifts in ministry is his ability to relationally interact with his parishioners as both pastor and as friend. This is clearly evident. If there is one attribute that counts the most, this is it.”

 

Jason himself, when asked about his philosophy of ministry, said with enthusiasm, “It’s about the people, connecting them to Jesus. Be a friend: ‘Christ’s method alone. . . .’ When you do that, it opens doors and avenues. The possibilities are endless if we are just there to connect with people. I love seeing them make decisions for Jesus and develop a relationship with Him. For example, 30 of the 53 kids at Camp Paxson this last summer made a decision to prepare for baptism; four of them were actually baptized while at camp. Several others have been baptized since then.

 

The final thought Jason wants us all to remember is: “We are Legos–we are made to connect!”