Pastor wants his church to invest in people, not buildings

As a congregation whose meeting place is at a motel in Agoura Hills, the Bethel Christian Fellowship is hardly traditional.

"We don't want to invest in projects or buildings," said Craig Johnson, an evangelical Protestant clergyman and pastor of the independent, nondenominational church he founded in 1982.

"We want to invest in people. If we have extra offerings, we want to help our people with it and meet practical needs. The good thing about being here (at the Hampton Inn) is that it is two years old. It's very clean and we have unlimited parking."

He said the goal is not to go out, but to grow out of the meeting space.

"If we do leave here, it will be because we're already doing three services each Sunday, we're doing maybe a Saturday evening service and we'll use this to its greatest capacity," Johnson said.

Johnson, who lives in Moorpark with his children, Grant, Brooke and Michael, received a bachelor of theology and master's degree in biblical studies from the California Graduate School of Theology in Rosemead. He also has a diploma in human rights, another master's degree, from the International Academy in Strasbourg, France. He's completing a doctor of religious science degree in philosophy and apologetics from Trinity Seminary in Newburg, Ind.

"Our desire as a congregation (is to be) real people with real needs pursuing real answers from a real God to life's problems," Johnson said. "We're unconventional yet transparent. We welcome anyone with an open and seeking heart.

"We're anchored to the Rock, but we're geared to the time. They're hearing the creed or orthodoxy that they'd get anywhere they would go. So the doctrine is going to be accurate; the handling of scriptures is going to be traditional. The approach is unconventional-not that we're trying to be, it's just who we are.

"We're here to serve the community, to bless them, to encourage them, help them with life's lessons to apply the Bible. The Bible leather has to get down to the shoe leather. We try to be very approachable and unconventional."

Johnson was born in Minnesota and then lived in Iowa. He was singing in nightclubs when he was 12 and signed with Capital Records in 1974 when he was 13 and moved to California.

"It was right after we moved here that I had a conversion experience where I accepted Christ as my savior," he said. "My life went a whole different direction. I said, 'I'm going to give my life to ministry.' It's been a long journey since then. I've been preaching since I was 16."

Johnson has been a theologian in residence at Chalcedon Christian Academy in Moorpark since 1987. He served as professor of philosophy at California Pacific School of Theology in Glendale from 2002 to 2005. Currently, he is an adjunct professor of ethics at Shepherd University in Los Angeles and a senior lecturer for the Biblical and American Archaeologist.

He recently returned from Nigeria, where he spoke each night under the sponsorship of the Ebenezer Obey Evangelistic Ministries.

"I spoke to 135,000 people a night versus my humble little group here," Johnson said. "I've been all around the world and am going back to Nigeria in January for seven days."

The Agoura Hills pastor has also been the host of a variety of religious TV and radio programs, written several books about the history of philosophy, composes and records Christian music, enjoys leading archaeological and historical tours of the ancient world and is available for retreats, special seminars, classes and pulpit opportunities.

Church services are on Sundays at 11 a.m. at the Hampton Inn's Lindero Room, 30255 Agoura Road in Agoura Hills. Tuesday classes and Thursday prayer meetings are at the pastor's home.

For more information on the church, call (818) 889-7215 or visitwww.drcraigjohnson.net or www.chalcedonacademy.org.