Meet Lonnie Johnson of Olathe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lonnie Johnson.

Hi Lonnie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Today I am the Chief Information Officer for KVC Health Systems, an Elder and Missionary at Church of the Harvest, and the Executive Director of Growth Ministries. I am happily married to a wonderful lady that works in ministry by my side.

However, I haven’t always been productive, active, and mission-driven. I was born and raised in the inner city of Kansas City, Missouri. I lived in the 64130 zip code. At that time, we had the highest crime rate in the entire metropolitan area, with murder being at the top of the list. I grew up in a one-parent home. I had plenty of love and guidance, but my neighborhood’s dark and seedy elements were plentiful. I grew up surrounded by thugs, pimps, drugs, and prostitutes. I made a lot of bad decisions that I take responsibility for. Those decisions led me down a road of trouble and triflingness. By the time I was a senior in high school, I was heavily into drugs and crime. This progressed for the next 12 years, and I soon found myself looking at prison time as I approached 30. After a few more years of figuring out how to put my life back together and dig myself out of this hole, I turned to Christ. This was the result of seeing a friend that I ran the streets with looking and living well. He was interviewed on a news program and told the audience that he had turned his life around through Christ. I figured if it worked for him, it could work for me.

In 1999 I committed my life to the Lord. I told God that I was going to give this a shot, and if it did not work, I was going to go full into the streets again as hard as I could. Because I was serious, God began to move me into the life I was always destined for. Over the next year, I married and started working at my current job. I now had faith, family, and a career, just like that. Every year after that, God continued to elevate me in all those areas of my life. I especially excelled at outreach work through my church.

In 2016 God placed on my heart to start a prison ministry. I knew nothing about that other than I had visited a few jails doing outreach through my church. That year Growth Ministries was birthed. It is a 501c3 dedicated to the betterment of incarcerated individuals. We preach, teach the bible, mentor, volunteer, facilitate life skills, publish a monthly magazine, and lead other activities. We have over 30 volunteers that write for our magazine, preach, teach, and oversee special events. In 2022 I started a group at my church to teach the average person how to go out and serve in the community at shelters, jails, and other places.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have seen a lot of obstacles that both challenged and strengthened my faith. My wife and I both entered our marriage with a significant amount of debt. We had to discipline ourselves to live a certain way while at the same time trusting God to provide for our needs. I also had to sever ties with many old acquaintances to keep from falling back into old habits. One of the biggest obstacles struggles was to win the trust of so many people I had let down and even hurt over the years. That took time.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I went to college and studied chemical engineering. The parties, nightlife, and street life soon brought that to a screeching halt. I dropped out in my second year at UMKC. While working, my dad offered to send me to a trade school, and I was interested in this new thing called computers back in 1984. I learned how to write computer code and took to that like a fish in water. Over the next 10 years, I worked for several companies building my skill. I landed a job at KVC Health Systems as a Data Analyst. My job was to digitize all their paper and manual processes for information gathering and reporting. Over the next 22 years, through determination and the grace of God, I was elevated to Programmer, Sr. Developer, Director of Software Development, Vice President of Business Information Technology, and then Chief Information Officer.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I have learned that life is about way more than me. A lot of people live to achieve all that they can by way of education, money, and possessions. I know now that life is about what you can do for others. This is what drives everything I do. My life is mission-driven. The reason why I have been at my current job so long is that they are about helping children that have been neglected and abused. I love what I do with the prison ministry because we help men and women get their lives back on track and reenter society as productive individuals. I love the work I do at my church as an Elder and Missionary. I have had the honor of traveling to other countries bringing medicine, clothing, and the gospel to areas that don’t even have running water.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.growthministriesinc.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LonnieCJohnson
• Other: https://www.kvc.org/about-us/leadership/