After 11 years of faithful ministry in the Oregon Conference, Dr. Kara Johnsson has announced that she will be transitioning from her position as Oregon Conference Vice President for Administration to a new role leading the department of Philanthropy at Adventist Health at the end of September. Before serving in her current position, Dr. Johnsson also served in the Oregon Conference as an associate executive pastor at the Sunnyside Seventh-day Adventist Church in Portland, Oregon, and as lead pastor at Oasis Christian Center in Vancouver, Washington.

“It has been a privilege to serve this conference over the past 11 years. The people I’ve had the privilege to work with have been some of the best. Both in my experience as a pastor and as an administrator - every opportunity to serve here has been a blessing,” said Dr. Johnsson. “I am deeply grateful for this season of ministry and particularly for the administrative team that I have been gifted to serve alongside. They are a rare combination of integrity, kindness, wisdom, and courage, and it has been an honor and a joy to work with them. While I will miss the daily work of the conference, I am excited to continue supporting our shared Adventist mission. Over these same 11 years in Portland, I have become deeply embedded in both the Adventist church communities and the surrounding local communities they serve. I look forward to carrying these relational foundations in my new role leading the department of Philanthropy at Adventist Health, looking for clear and authentic ways for us to share in our mission of healing and hope. I am eager to strengthen our hospital’s presence and positive impact in these neighborhoods and communities I have come to know and love. And I want to say thank you to each of our Oregon Conference church members for their partnership, encouragement, and friendship during my time here so far. I look forward to staying connected as we each continue serving in the ways God leads!”

Oregon Conference president Dr. John McVay shared that Dr. Johnsson’s impact will continue to be felt for years to come. “Those of us who have worked closely with Dr. Johnsson have been so blessed by her diligent work, her hopeful outlook, her appreciation for her colleagues, and her love for God and the church. We will deeply miss her excellent leadership and thoughtful counsel. In her work as Executive Secretary/Vice President for Administration of the Oregon Conference, Dr. Kara Johnsson has brought commitment, excellent education, rich pastoral experience, and a heartfelt love for our sisterhood of churches to bear on her duties. Ably leading us through difficult chapters, she has scribed a message of hope rooted in God’s love for his people. Thank you, Dr. Johnsson! From all of us.”