Charismatic Movement
Born on July 18, 1951, Bill Johnson is the senior leader of the charismatic megachurch Bethel Church in Redding, California.
The church reportedly increased from about 2,000 members in 1996 to over 11,000 by 2019 under his direction. Johnson advocates for ideas that have been important to the global Bethel movement and impacted parts of modern charismatic Christianity, such as revival, faith healing, and supernatural manifestations. He co-founded the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry in 1998, which has attracted students from all around the world and garnered a lot of media attention. In addition to being a traveling lecturer and author, Johnson has made appearances in documentaries and Christian media. His ministry has drawn a lot of support as well as criticism, especially when it comes to his theology, charismatic behavior, and political activity.
Following in the footsteps of his father, M. Earl Johnson, Bill Johnson is a fifth-generation preacher who has served as senior pastor of Bethel Church since 1996. He and his spouse were senior pastors at Mountain Chapel in California before to Bethel. Johnson changed his focus to supernatural ministry after attending John Wimber’s conference and the Toronto Blessing revival. He then co-founded the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, which provides training to students all around the world. His wife, Brenda, died in 2022, and he had three children.
Through his appearances in documentaries such as Father of Lights and American Gospel: Christ Alone, as well as in interviews with Charisma magazine and CBN, Johnson has also become well-known in the popular media. He has a conservative political stance and supported Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020 because of his stances on globalization, same-sex marriage, and abortion. Johnson’s views on heterosexual marriage and homosexuality as a sin are in line with those of Bethel Church, which has vehemently opposed laws that would have limited conversion treatment in California.
Bethel Church Redding / Bethel Church
Since 1996, Bill Johnson, a fifth-generation pastor, has served as Bethel Church’s senior leader. He is renowned for spearheading a Christian movement and church that places a strong emphasis on the Holy Spirit and miracles. He is regarded by Christianity Today as having “considerable influence among charismatic Christians all over the world.” Johnson agreed to join Bethel on the condition that the message would always focus on God’s supernatural presence and be about revival. His vision cost the church a thousand members. But since then, the church has expanded [contradictory] under his direction, going from 2,000 members in 1996 to over 11,000 in 2019.
From 1968 until 1982, while Bethel Church was a part of the Assemblies of God, his father, M. Earl Johnson, served as Senior Pastor. Before this role, Bill Johnson and his spouse were the Senior Pastors of Mountain Chapel in Weaverville, California, from 1978 until 1996.
In 1987, Johnson went to a John Wimber signs and wonders seminar specifically hoping to find healing again. Since he had been teaching the identical ideas that John Wimber had been teaching, but the results were very different, he departed feeling disheartened. Johnson claims that this disappointment led to the understanding that having faith meant taking a chance, and that healing miracles then started to occur.
In 1995, he went to several of the Toronto Blessing revival gatherings in Toronto, Canada. Johnson describes how these gatherings gave him a new perspective from God that directed his life’s work toward seeking the Holy Spirit and the Spirit’s talents.
Johnson and Kris Vallotton, Senior Associate Leader at Bethel, founded the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry in 1998 to prepare students to be revivalists. More than 2,000 pupils from 57 different nations attend the institution. Johnson is also a member of Wagner University’s Core Residential Faculty in Rancho Cucamonga, California. On November 12, 2021, the Wayback Machine archived
Published Books
Some of his published books are:
- When Heaven Invades Earth (Destiny Image Publishers, 2003)
- The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind (Destiny Image Publishers, 2005)
- When Heaven Invades Earth Devotional & Journal (Destiny Image Publishers, August 2005)
- Shifting Shadow of Supernatural Power: A Prophetic Manual for Those Wanting to Move in God’s Supernatural Power (co-author) (Destiny Image Publishers, August 2006)
- Dreaming With God (Destiny Image, December 2006)
- The Supernatural Ways of Royalty (co-author) (Destiny Image Publishers, 2006)
- The Supernatural Ways of Royalty Leader’s Guide (co-author) (Destiny Image Publishers, 2006)
- The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind 40-Day Devotional and Personal Journal (Destiny Image, September 2006)
- Here Comes Heaven!: A Kid’s Guide to God’s Supernatural Power (co-author) (Destiny Image, October 2007)
- Face to Face with God (Charisma House, 2007)
- Strengthen Yourself in The Lord (Destiny Image Publishers, 2007)
- A Life of Miracles: A 365-day guide to prayer and miracles (Destiny Image, February 2008)
- Strengthen Yourself in the Lord (Audio Book) (Destiny Image, February 2008)
- Release the Power of Jesus (Destiny Imae Publishers, 2009)
- The Essential Guide to Healing (co-author) (Chosen Books, 2011)
- Walking in the Supernatural: Another Cup of Spiritual Java (Destiny Image Publishers, 2012)
- Hosting the Presence (Destiny Image Publishers, 2012)
- Hosting the Presence Every Day: 365 Days to Unveiling Heaven’s Agenda for Your Life (Destiny Image Publishers, 2014)
- Hosting the Presence Workbook: Unveiling Heaven’s Agenda (Destiny Image Publishers, 2013)
- Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate (co-author) (Destiny Image Publishers, 2013)
- Discovering Your Purpose: A Short Interview with Bill Johnson (Bill Johnson Ministries, 2014)
- Spiritual Java (Destiny Image Publishers, 2016)
- Healing Unplugged: Conversations and Insights from Two Veteran Healing Leaders (Destiny Image Publishers, 2016)
- Releasing the Spirit of Prophecy: The Supernatural Power of Testimony (Destiny Image Publishers, 2014)
- Experience the Impossible (Chosen Books, 2014)
- The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind Study Guide: Access to a Life of Miracles (Chosen Books, 2014)
- Strengthen Yourself in The Lord Leader’s Guide (Destiny Image Publishers, 2015)
- Strengthen Yourself in The Lord Study Guide (Destiny Image Publishers, 2015)
- Power That Changes the World: Creating Eternal Impact in the Here and Now (Destiny Image Publishers, 2015)
- Defining Moments (Whitaker House, 2016)
- God is Good (Destiny Image Publishers, 2016)
- God is Good Interactive Manual: He’s Better Than You Think (Destiny Image Publishers, 2016)
- A Daily Invitation to Friendship With God: Dreaming with God to Transform Your World (Destiny Image Publishers, 2016)
- Jesus Christ is Perfect Theology (Destiny Image Publishers, 2016)
- Encountering the Goodness of God: 90 Daily Devotions (Destiny Image Publishers, 2017)
- God is Really Good (Destiny Image Publishers, 2017)
- When Heaven Invades Earth for Teens: Your Guide to God’s Supernatural Power (Destiny Image Publishers, 2017)
- Is God Really Good?: Bill Johnson Answers Your Toughest Questions about the Goodness of God (Destiny Image Publishers, 2017)
- The Way of Life (Destiny Image Publishers, 2018)
- The Resting Place: Living Immersed in the Presence of God (Destiny Image Publishers, 2019)
- Meeting God Face to Face: Daily Encouragement to Seek His Presence and Favor (Charisma House, 2019)
- The Way of Life Leader’s Guide: Experiencing the Culture of Heaven on Earth (Destiny Image, 2019)
- Born for Significance: Master the Purpose, Process, and Peril of Promotion (Charisma House, 2020)
- Raising Giant-Killers: Releasing Your Child’s Divine Destiny through Intentional Parenting (Destiny Image Publishers, 2020)
- Raising Giant-Killers Leaders Guide: Releasing Your Child’s Divine Destiny through Intentional Parenting (Destiny Image Publishers, 2020)
- Raising Giant-Killers Participant’s Guide: Releasing Your Child’s Divine Destiny through Intentional Parenting (Destiny Image Publishers, 2020)
- The Mind of God: How His Wisdom Can Transform Our World (Destiny Image Publishers, 2020)
- How to Respond to Disaster: By Living Anchored in the Goodness of God (Destiny Image Publishers, 2020)
- HOPE in Any Crisis: Stop Fear and Release God’s Goodness In Uncertain Times (Destiny Image Publishers, 2020)
- The King’s Way of Life (Destiny Image Publishers, 2020)
- Mornings and Evenings in His Presence: A Lifestyle of Daily Encounters with God (Destiny Image Publishers, 2020)
- Rejoice Into Joy: Three Keys to Experiencing the Fullness of Heaven’s Joy (Destiny Image Publishers, 2021)
- Your Journey to Significance: A Daily Discovery of Who God Created You to Be (Charisma House, 2021)
- Open Heavens: Position Yourself to Encounter the God of Revival (Destiny Image Publishers, 2021)
- Peace in Every Storm: 52 Declarations & Meditations for Difficult Times (BroadStreet Publishing Group LLC, 2021)
- Bible Promises and Prayers for Children: Releasing Your Child’s Divine Destiny (Destiny Image Publishers, 2021)
- Born for Significance Study Guide (Charisma House, 2021)
Marital Status
On July 13, 2022, Bill Johnson’s wife, Brenda (“Beni”) died of cancer.
Leah Valenzuel, Eric Johnson, and Brian Johnson are the three children of Bill and Brenda Johnson.
