Virginia (Ginny) Johanson

I have lived and worked in Stockton since 1980. My youngest child, Carl, was born three months after moving from Palo Alto, CA. Astrid, Ingrid, and Carl were raised here, confirmed at Stockton Covenant Church, and attended local schools: El Dorado, Kohl, Webster, and Stagg High School. Rob was a civil engineer, specializing in hydrology. Our move to Stockton was the result of a job change: leaving consulting engineering and taking up teaching at University of the Pacific. By 1987, Rob had received tenure and was promoted to full professor. After 12 years at home with three children, I returned to teaching math: at first, part-time at U.O.P., and then full-time at Stagg High School. Rob died suddenly at Heathrow, in London, while flying from Johannesburg, South Africa to San Francisco. Widowhood has been difficult. I retired from teaching in June, 2008. The children all live in the Bay Area at this time. We transferred our church membership from Peninsula Covenant Church, Redwood City, CA rather than shopping around for a church in Stockton because we had personalized the Covenant affirmations; they are both profound and straight forward. "Where is it written?" and "How goes it with your walk?" are easy to ask, yet often soul-searching to answer truthfully. (PCC had reached out to us when we were Stanford students. We were loved into membership.) In 2009 I represent the area of Missions on the Leadership Council. Missions were not previously represented on the Council, so I was pleased to be elected in 2008 for this. With God’s help, I would like to communicate the joys and sorrows of Christians here and abroad so that our congregation at Stockton Covenant Church experiences being vital partners in global missions through faithful prayer, education, Christian nurture, and financial support. I hope to coordinate activities with Children and Youth Ministries, Women’s Ministries (with Cheryl Kauppi), and Outreach (with Kay Nicholas). Stockton Covenant Church has a fine history of supporting missions. The Barbara Gill Fund is available to support short-term missions lasting from 5 weeks to 2 year. The Alice Anderson Fund is available for the care of career missionaries supported by SCC. The Enoch Carlson Scholarship Fund provides scholarships to graduate students, members of SCC, who are preparing for full-time Christian service. I pray that we may continue our tradition of sending out people to serve God around the world. These special opportunities personalize global missions and help us marvel at God’s leading, guiding, and inspiring. I consider ‘service’ an important part of working out my faith; I have been involved a great deal with missions and Christian Education. I helped with the process that transformed the Missions Committee into the Missions Board; I have served several terms as a Board member and also as chairperson. I was Sunday School teacher several years, both for children and for adults; I serviced as the chair of the C.E. Board when we had over 200 attending the C.E. Hour. I coordinated 30 teachers and volunteers, local teacher training, SASS convention attendance, appreciation lunches and dinners; Wednesday evening outreach with Pioneer Girls and Pioneer Boys, Indochinese Outreach at Louis Park, VBS, children’s church, toddler time and fund-raisers for summer camps at Mission Springs. I served a two-year term on the PSWC Christian Education Board. I have been nominated, but did not serve on the National Covenant Missions Board. I have represented Stockton Covenant Church as a voting delegate to annual meetings both of the PSWC and the National Covenant.

“Where is it written?” and “How goes it with your walk?” are easy to ask, yet often soul-searching to answer truthfully.