(back row ) Sharon and Eric Johnson, Paul Robinson; (front row) Tammy Swanson-Draheim, Evelyn Johnson, Debbie Blue
On June 27, 2024, during the 138th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Covington, Kentucky, Evelyn Johnson was honored with the Irving C. Lambert Award for outstanding commitment to urban ministry. The award is named for Irving Carl Lambert, who served with diligence and humility on the board committee of freedom and theology for North Park Theological Seminary. As part of her 42 years of vocational ministry in the Covenant, Evelyn Johnson was the first woman to lead a budgeted department within Covenant Offices and the first to serve as a conference superintendent.
Evelyn has played an influential role in the Covenant, serving the church through her pastoral presence. In particular, she has been a significant catalyst for the ordination of women in Covenant ministry, continually calling attention to the role women have always played in the life of the Covenant, going back to the denomination’s founding in the nineteenth century. She continues to advocate for women’s full participation in all aspects of church ministry, especially prioritizing concrete actions over mere theological assent.
“It’s got to be more than just the thinking, but really feeling and doing something about it,” she said in a 2022 episode of the Love the Cov podcast. “I’ve worked with many people for whom, biblically, theologically, they were right there. But what was missing was translating that knowledge into a way of feeling and acting. It manifested itself for me in that lack of a sense of being a colleague with that person.”
Evelyn Johnson also played a significant role in the creation and development of the Six-Fold Test for Multiethnic Ministry, designed to measure the extent to which the Covenant is living into its vision of being a multiethnic mosaic. In a recent Companion article, she explained the importance of participation, as she and Greg Yee recounted how she recruited him into a conference leadership role.
“In 2003, Evelyn came to me, saying, ‘The Pacific Southwest Conference is changing. The mission field is growing younger, more urban, more multiethnic,’” said Yee. “I asked her, ‘Aren’t those positions for pastors in their last tour of duty, the ones who have served for decades in ministry?’ I was questioning my own competency. She said, ‘Greg, this is what I need for the mission. All that other stuff—I will walk with you.’” He joined her staff that summer.
Evelyn is the co-author of Crescendo: An Ascent to Vital Living. Along with Alan Forsman and Debbie Blue, she became part of the first leadership team of Crescendo, a Covenant ministry promoting purpose, vitality, and mission in the later stages of life.
In presenting her award Paul Robinson, interim executive minister of Serve Locally, said, “When Evelyn Johnson’s name came forward for this award, I was surprised she didn’t already have it! Rev. Johnson has been a strong advocate for justice in our movement. Her life and ministry are consistent with the life and ministry of Irving Lambert.”
In her remarks, Evelyn said, “There are so many others who deserve this, who are doing this work. Most of all I want to give glory to God, not only for the journey in ministry but for the gift of my supportive husband, Phil, who died ten years ago this summer. He always supported my call to ministry—he was a man before his time.” She concluded, “In the theme of this Annual Meeting, let us move together faithfully forward.”
