Rev. Rich Johnson Named Director of the C. John Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction

North Park Theological Seminary is delighted to announce the appointment of Rev. Richard (Rich) Westley Johnson as the next Director of the C. John Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction.

Rev. Johnson brings a rich blend of pastoral experience, contemplative practice, and academic depth to this critical position within the life of the seminary and church. As the founding pastor of Sanctuary Columbus Church, he has spent more than a decade cultivating a multiracial, justice‑seeking, contemplative Christian community. Rev. Johnson holds degrees from Morehouse College, the College of William & Mary, and North Park Theological Seminary, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry at Portland Seminary in spiritual formation and leadership. A trained spiritual director and longtime mentor with Healing Care Ministries, he has helped shape leaders committed to prayerful discernment, interior transformation, and embodied justice.

Search committee member Christina Burrows, president of the Association of Covenant Spiritual Directors (ACSD), celebrated the appointment, saying:

“Over the past year, it has been a joy to work with Pastor Rich on the ACSD council, and I am delighted that we will get to continue working with him in his new role as Director of the C. John Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction. Full of joy in the Lord, secure in his identity as a beloved child of God, Rich brings a unique combination of gifts and experiences as a pastor, scholar, educator, church planter, and community organizer with a passion for expanding our cultural vision of contemplative ministry. I’m excited to see how our movement of spiritual directors in the Covenant is shaped in the years to come, with Rich as Director of the Weborg Center.”

Former director Rev. Rob Peterson echoed these sentiments, noting:

“I am more than thrilled about the appointment of Pastor Rich Johnson as Director of the Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction. I have known Rich for several years and believe his experience as a director and his passion for seeing women and men learn the art of spiritual direction will add depth and vision to the Center.”

Rev. Johnson expressed enthusiasm for building on the Center’s strong foundation and for widening access to spiritual direction training—especially for diverse, bi‑vocational, and under‑resourced leaders across the Covenant Church and beyond. He envisions deeper integration between the Weborg Center, the seminary’s Pietist heritage, and the broader denominational ecosystem, with expanded opportunities for discernment retreats, continuing education, and contextualized pathways into spiritual direction.

North Park Theological Seminary celebrates this next chapter with gratitude and anticipation, welcoming Rev. Rich Johnson into a role that will help shape the spiritual vitality and leadership resilience of the Church for years to come.

Get to know our new Director through “An Interview with Rev. Rich Johnson” and his recent Covenant Companion article, “Dream the Impossible” (Jan 12, 2026).