‘Accidental missionary’ honoured for courageous and impactful Christianity

Part 1 of a 3-part series based on an inspiring interview with Shodankeh Johnson, a pastor, church planter and reformer from Sierra Leone, West Africa.

Recently I had the privilege of interviewing Shodankeh Johnson, this year’s recipient of the William Wilberfoce Award presented annually in the United States by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview to a Christian leader who has made a lasting difference and demonstrated principled courage.

Shodankeh was one of eight children raised by a staunchly Methodist father and Muslim-background mother in the south of Sierra Leone in West Africa.

At school, through the influence of Scripture Union he grew closer to God but it was later, that his faith journey took a dramatic turn after he accepted a friend’s invitation to attend a youth service at his church. Shodankeh, who was by then a young man, said he was deeply moved by the preacher’s message about the need to take the Gospel to unreached Muslim groups in the north of the country.

When the preacher called for a response to his message Shodankeh raised his hand for the first time in his life at a church meeting. To his surprise he was the only person who responded, and after some training he found himself heading north to serve a people whose language he did not even know.

“I referred to myself as an accidental missionary. My intention was really to go to the north for just four months and then go to law school. But God grabbed my heart while I was there. I fell in love with the people. I realised that they were lost. – that they needed a Saviour.”

He stayed in the north for more than six years before God called him to other assignments.

Ten of his more than 30 years of ministry spanned a brutal civil war in his country during which he was captured by government and rebel forces a few times.

Sharing about a time he faced death during capture he said: “My hands were tied behind my back, and this commander said: ‘I’m going to kill you, and when I kill you, go and tell your God what you have been talking about. Your God cannot save you. You are already a dead man anyway.’

“So, in that pain, I just bowed down my head, and I said: ‘God, please, if this is my time to die, I’m ready to go. But please God, give me courage so that I can talk to this commander. … At least if I go down, let me convert one more person for you, and let it be this commander. ’ 

“And so, I lifted my head, and I said: ‘Commander, please, I know you are going to shoot me, but please give me five minutes so that I can talk to you.’

“He said : ‘Go ahead and talk any nonsense. You’re already a dead man anyway.’

“And I said: ‘Commander, please … I want you to accept Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour. Because, you know, if you shoot me right now, there are angels all around waiting to take me to heaven. But if you die, commander, in this state, you will not make it to Heaven.’ I said: ‘Right now, if you accept Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour, and then you turn around and shoot me, you know, Jesus will still forgive you.’

“And he looked at me and he told his boys” ‘Untie this man. Let him go. Something is wrong with his head. He’s not a normal man.’ So, I was untied, and they let me go.

“But a few weeks down the road, the commander came looking for me. And when he came, he said: ‘Do you know that the way you spoke to me that day, nobody has ever spoken to me like that? I go to bed, and I can’t sleep. Can we be friends?’ “

Through that friendship, the commander got saved and baptised, and two of his men also were baptised. 

Shodanekh’s  ministry, New Harvest Global Ministries has deeply impacted Sierra Leone and beyond. Christian leaders trained by him have planted over 3 000 churches, planted schools and seminaries, sent out dentists and doctors, developed sustainable agriculture programmess, cared for war-wounded, trained former combatants through trade schools and been on the front lines of care during national health crises.

He believes that the goal of His service to Christ is to be “high impact, low visibility” so that the glory goes to God alone.

To be continued

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