wfn.org | ABCUSA: Board Honors Charles Smith, Emmett Johnson

["SCHRAMM, Richard" <Richard.Schramm@abc-usa.org>]

American Baptist News Service (11/16/02)--In statements of appreciation
issued Nov. 16, the General Board of American Baptist Churches USA honored
the lives and service of the Hon. Charles Z. Smith, retiring Washington
State Supreme Court justice and former ABCUSA president, and the late Rev.
Dr. Emmett V. Johnson, American Baptist leader in evangelism and other
ministries.

The declaration honoring Smith, long an active American Baptist layman,
noted:

"Throughout your long career you have touched many lives in a variety of
ways through a vital, steadfast Christian witness and a lifelong passion for
justice.

"We note in particular your service as: 
a justice of the Washington State Supreme Court since 1988; 
president of American Baptist Churches USA in 1976-1977 and a member of the
American Baptist Churches USA American Baptist General Board for 20 years; 
a member of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom,
through appointment by President Clinton in 1999; 
a member of the National Interreligious Task Force on Soviet Jewry, in which
role you helped to monitor compliance with the Helsinki Accords; 
a judge in the Municipal Court of Seattle and the Superior Court of
Washington and a deputy prosecuting attorney for King County, Wash.; 
professor of law, associate dean, director of Law School Clinical Programs
and later professor of law emeritus at the University of Washington School
of Law; 
a concerned citizen and Christian through numerous other legal, civic,
community, military and church responsibilities.
	
"In all of your work and ministry you have served the cause of Jesus Christ
as an outspoken advocate for religious freedom, human rights and justice.
We pray that God's richest blessings will be with you now, in gratitude for
the service you have given, and in anticipation of how God will continue to
lead you in sharing your gifts, wisdom and compassion...."

Johnson, who died Sept. 8, was commended by the board as "a visionary leader
in evangelism, new church planting and other ministries that have served the
cause of Jesus Christ."

The statement continued: "In particular we note his service as: 
director of evangelism for the denomination from 1979-1991; 
director of the Personal and Public Witness Unit, and later director of new
church planting and manager of the Division of Evangelistic Ministries, for
National Ministries; 
developer of programs such as Ministry of Caring, Kerygma, Inviting New
Neighbors and ABC-Find and the annual American Baptist evangelism meeting;
representative of American Baptist Churches USA in ecumenical ministries,
including as chair of the Baptist World Alliance Division of Evangelism and
Education and BWA vice president, chair of the National Council of Churches'
Program Ministry on Evangelism, and a member of the North American Baptist
Fellowship General Committee; 
national coordinator of the American Baptist Churches USA denominational
emphasis "ABC 2000: Renewed for Mission"; 
chair of the planning committee for the denomination's "Living Worship
Convocation" held in October 1998; 
executive minister of the Minnesota Baptist Conference of the Baptist
General Conference and a faculty member at Bethel Theological Seminary; 
a pastor serving churches in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois.

"Through his passionate dedication to sharing the Gospel message, his
longtime involvement in ecumenical and interfaith dialog, and his
unqualified call to personal commitment to Christ, Emmett Johnson helped
lead American Baptist Churches USA along both established and groundbreaking
paths of mission.
We honor today our brother in Christ, Emmett Johnson, and rejoice in his
legacy of vital Christian witness. "

02ABN159

American Baptist News Service: Office of Communication, American Baptist
Churches USA, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851; (610)768-2077; fax:
(610)768-2320; www.abc-usa.org; richard.schramm@abc-usa.org