who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
Who Is Tim Johnson?
Published by: Sam Crabtree
August 17, 2010
Tim Johnson is chairman of the Bethlehem elder council, and CEO of Impact Proven Solutions. He was selected as a finalist for the 2010 Upper Midwest Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
I asked Tim some questions about eldership and the council …
What is an elder?
An elder at Bethlehem is a man who aspires to the office, meets the qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and whose greatest treasure and joy is found in Jesus Christ. He recognizes that the wonderful joy he has found is multiplied when it spreads. Furthermore, he humbly acknowledges that this treasure was revealed to him by God’s grace and through his spirit in an utterly unique, God-breathed book.
His shepherd’s heart is what makes him aspire to the office; it is that noble passion that makes him want to help guide others to discover and hang on to this true treasure, and his inclination to teach makes him want to carefully and diligently guard against misapplying God’s word.
What are the chairman’s responsibilities?
The chairman contributes by planning, organizing and facilitating, but I think his most important contribution is probably “steering.” When he has a sense of the trajectory of the council, he can help to effectively steer and guide the discussion.
When he senses that the council is stuck, his role (more than any other single elder) affords him the opportunity to suggest ideas or possibilities for getting unstuck.
I asked Tim some questions about his work …
What is your weekday business?
My weekday business is Impact Proven Solutions. We help our customers manage their critical documents, assist them with their marketing efforts and provide pick & pack order-processing services.
What does being a Christian have to do with running your business?
Being a Christian affects everything about running a business because it affects the motive, passion and reason underneath every decision and every action. Genesis 1:1 causes me to picture every employee as a special person who will live forever who was designed by God for his glory—not some cosmic evolutionary accident.
1 Corinthians 10:31 teaches that it is not only possible to do everything the glory of God (including eating, drinking, and certainly earning) but that believers should do everything to the glory of God. We’re a very small piece of God’s creation. We’ve chosen Psalm 46:10 to fly as a banner over all that we do—our desire is that God be exalted at Impact.
Pastor Sam Crabtree is Bethlehem's Executive Pastor and Lead Pastor for Life Training.