wfn.org | Captain Philip Johanson awarded OBE for "Service to Church Army"

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ACNS 2843 - ENGLAND - 31 January 2002

Recognition for "Services to Church Army" Captain Philip Johanson awarded
OBE

The first lay person to be appointed Chief Secretary of Church Army, Captain
Philip Johanson, has been awarded the OBE in the Queen's New Year Honours
List "for services to Church Army". Commenting on the award, Philip said:
"It came totally out of the blue and was completely unexpected. The honour,
although given personally, is I believe a recognition of all the work that
Church Army Evangelists are engaged in throughout the UK."

He went on to say: "Coming at the beginning of the Queen's Golden Jubilee,
the honour has a special significance in that Her Majesty has also been
Patron of Church Army for fifty years."

Originating from Kingston upon Hull, Philip came to faith through
involvement with churches in the parish of Drypool. He was a trainee manager
in a family owned departmental store called Hammonds, which is now part of
the House of Frazer Group, but interrupted a management course to join
Church Army. Commissioned in July 1968, he experienced a wide variety of
rural children's and youth evangelism working alongside a colleague in the
Lincoln Diocese. From there he went to work on Church Army's last mission
caravan, which was operating in Northern Ireland, and then with a mobile
unit known as the Flying Column based in London. He then served as a member
of a Church Army Mission team working in deaneries in the Winchester and
Coventry Dioceses.

With such useful up-front experience behind him, he found a niche in support
and encouragement as Assistant Secretary of the then Mission Department
based at Church Army HQ and became Director of Evangelism in 1984. His
management and evangelism gifts were further recognised when in May 1990 the
late Lord Coggan commissioned him as the first lay Chief Secretary of the
Society.

Of the last 11 years, Philip said: "There has been a great deal of change in
society and the Church and we have the choice to embrace it or get left
behind. There is a natural fear on the part of most people regarding change
and some of it has been painful. With others in the Society, we have brought
about a greater understanding and recognition of Church Army and the
contribution it can make to the total mission of the Church."

Apart from many concerns about Christian ministry, Philip has wide-ranging
interests including listening to classical music, walking, reading
biographies of leaders in different spheres of life and theatre going. His
investiture will be at Buckingham Palace on 20 February.

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