Cover Letter
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
My name is Corey Drew Johnson, and I am a graduate of the Brown Trail School of Preaching in Bedford, Texas. Since graduating in December 2014, I have been a full-time gospel preacher. While attending Brown Trail, I worked as the Youth Minister for the Bedford Church of Christ for a year and a half. I have worked at many different vocations through the years, from retail to fast food management to truck driving and have always strived to excel at each one, but I have never been as excited and fulfilled as when I am preaching and teaching God's Word and working with the brethren.
Teaching God’s Word is a passion I have had from a very young age. I have been studying and learning God’s Word from the time I was a child, and I was baptized into Christ on October 10, 1991 at the age of eleven. I grew up in a biblically sound family with parents who taught me to have a fervent love for God, both by making sure I grew up studying His Word, as well as being excellent role models for me. My mother, Shirley, would carry a notebook to church at each assembly and take notes of all the Scriptures that were used in the lessons. This made an impression on me and from a young age, I began to imitate her by also taking notes and looking up the Scriptures at home. My father, Harvey, has an immense knowledge of the Scriptures, and he and I would have many Bible studies and in-depth discussions, which helped me to become more knowledgeable and able to debate, as he liked to play “devil’s advocate” to challenge me. He also would serve on the Lord’s table, lead prayers, and he would preach for ministers when they were ill or on vacation. All of this made a lasting impression on me and caused a great desire to be active in the Lord’s church. As soon as I was old enough, I began teaching Bible classes and discovered how much I loved doing so. I have led Bible studies for adults, teenagers, and preteens at many different congregations.
My wife, Amy, and I have been married since March 15, 2004, and she has been an active member of the Lord’s church since her baptism in January 2004. Before she became a member of the Lord’s church, she was attending the Christian church, but she wasn’t sure if it was the right church, so she was seeking the truth and had a lot of questions. I was a friend of her younger sister, Sarah (whom I had converted and baptized), so Amy knew I had a good understanding of the Scriptures. She asked me if I could study the Bible with her and answer some of her questions, and after two and a half weeks of daily study, I baptized her. She has been a faithful Christian ever since. Amy attended Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kansas and earned two degrees—one in Office Technology and one in Computer Information Systems. During the three and a half years I was preaching in Hollis, Amy worked as the church secretary. She is also an experienced children's Bible class teacher who has taught in every congregation I have ministered with. During the two years I attended Brown Trail School of Preaching, Amy attended and graduated from their wives’ program. Amy and I have two children—our daughter Savannah was born November 28, 2007 and our son Elijah was born March 7, 2010 (see attached family photo).
Because I strongly believe that children are the future of the church, I have a passion for working with them and instilling a love of God and knowledge of the Scriptures in them. When I was a child, I attended Black Mesa Bible Camp every summer, and when I became a teenager, I began to serve there as a counselor and teacher. I have also served as a counselor at Green Valley Bible Camp, Inner Circle Christian Camp, and Quartz Mountain Christian Camp. As a young adult, I was active as a coach for Kids’ Incorporated Youth Soccer, which combined my love of soccer with my love for working with kids. When I was managing a Sonic Drive-In, I had many teenagers working for me, who looked to me as a role model and would sometimes come to me for advice and help with various problems and situations. I was always happy to take the time to help them in whatever way I could. When I was the Youth Minister in Bedford, I worked with a variety of young people—from those who came from Christian homes and were well-behaved to those from non-Christian homes who had behavioral issues. I ran a bus program where I would pick up kids who did not have a ride and bring them to Bible classes and services. This work was challenging but also very rewarding and fulfilling.
I am humbly grateful for this opportunity to be considered for the position, and I would like to thank you for your time. I pray that with thoughtful prayer and consideration, you will be able to find the best candidate for the position.
In Christ,
Corey Johnson
