Janet Johnson – AWSA Power Speaker
BIO:
Janet Johnson is an award-winning author, speaker, pastor, mentor in spiritual formation, and free-lance writer whose passion is helping others discover the deep inner joy available to believers as they draw closer to God in all of life’s situations. Having journeyed through the ‘desert’ of grief (after her brother was murdered, her son was killed in a car accident, her brother-in-law committed suicide, the deaths of many close friends and family, and significant loneliness due to moves), Janet found herself crying out to God for peace and joy. Empowered by God’s Spirit the chains of grief in which she lived were broken and God gave her a pathway to joy. Janet has BA, MSW, and MDiv degrees in addition to the completion of the Academy of Spiritual Formation, the Pastors of Excellence program, and the Methodist School of Supernatural Ministry. She is the author of two books on grief, Grief the Unwanted Journey–Reflections to Help Navigate Your Way through Tragedy and Loss (a Selah Award finalist) and Surviving the Holidays While Grieving–Practical tools for Experiencing Joy When Facing Grief and Loss. She has two additional books for children scheduled to release in 2022 to help children process grief. Additionally, Janet writes a regular column in a Christian magazine. She is on the Board of Aldersgate Renewal Ministries and the Blue Ridge Walk to Emmaus as well as an associate member of the Order of St. Luke healing ministry. Janet and her husband of 50 years, Richard, a retired Air Force Combat veteran, have four adult children, several grandchildren, and Daisy, an Australian Blue Heeler/Spaniel rescue dog. Janet, Richard, and Daisy reside near Asheville, NC.