Our thanks to Pastor Gary and Orlene Johnson for serving us November 2023 - May 2024.
Our Story: Pastor Gary & Orlene Johnson
Thank you for welcoming us into your church family and for allowing me the privilege of serving as your Pastor during this interim. We have lived in our 26’, 5th wheel RV, our tiny home on wheels, since August 2017.
In 1979 I was assigned from our Seminary to serve as Pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church, North Freedom, WI and Christ Lutheran Church, rural Baraboo, WI.
I met Orlene and her two sons, Tony &Andy, in 1986 while she was working as Advertising Director for the Baraboo News Republic. We were married in 1987 and were blessed with two daughters, Kathryn & Abby. Shortly after Katie was born, Orlene retired from the newspaper, became a Mom-at-home, built an in-home business, and devoted much time at church as choir director, Sunday school teacher and more.
We lived in North Freedon until 2012 when I accepted a Call to be a semi-retired Pastor at Our Savior Lutheran in Freeport, IL and served there until 2017.
As we prepared for retirement, Orlene and I decided to move into an RV so we would be free to travel between our children and grandchildren and enjoy the wonders of God’s creation in many different parts of our nation and Canada.
Aong with helping in various roles with me at the vacancies we serve, Orlene is a Video Creator on YouTube. Our channel name is ”Roads of Faith”. We also have a public Facebook page by the same name to share our travels with family, friends and any others who would like to travel along with us. We are in our 7th year of travels.
From the time we started with our mobile, tiny home life, we have been blessed to connect with family and friends all over the USA and BC Canada. In addition we have also enjoyed making many new friends with RVers and in churches along the way.
We daily give thanks as God continues to bless us on our journeys. We pray that He also works to make us a blessing to others wherever we may travel.
God has blessed us to serve vacancies in Vacaville, CA / Fredericksburg, TX / Green Lake, WI / Sparks, NV / Tyler, TX / Copperfield, Houston, TX, Midlothian, TX and now in Corpus Christi, TX.
It is truly a privilege for us to be able to serve our Lord here at Gethsemane Lutheran.