Champion for Christ – Debbie Johnson

Born in 1951, Debbie Johnson graduated in 1976 from Liberty University (then called Liberty Baptist College). Debbie developed cerebral palsy after being dropped as a newborn baby in the hospital. Her parents fought to have her eventually attend school. Debbie’s 8th-grade year in school actually turned out to be one of the most important years of her life. She attended a church a few blocks away from home and fell in love with the people and message of the pastor. Debbie was saved a few months after first attending, beginning her relationship with Jesus Christ. After graduating high school and briefly attending the University of Cincinnati, Debbie felt God calling her to a Christian college.

 

Unfortunately, Debbie’s parents strongly discouraged her from enrolling at a Christian school. Her pastor wrote a recommendation letter for her to Liberty and helped convince Debbie’s parents to allow her to attend.  Working part-time as a janitor throughout school, Debbie paid for college herself and graduated in 1976 with her bachelor’s degree. Debbie worked at the school for eleven years post-graduation and then earned her master’s in 1992.

 

Debbie is one of the founders of Lynchburg Area Center for Independent Living and in the year 2000, she became a paralegal.  She used this position to assist disabled, elderly, and low-income people in writing out their wills. Debbie still lives in Lynchburg at a health and rehab center at the age of 71. Continuing in her personal relationship with Jesus, Debbie also leads a small Bible study that meets several times a month. When talking about her journey in regard to living with cerebral palsy, Debbie asserted, “God did not cause it, but allowed it for His glory.”

 

Debbie’s full testimony can be listened to online through the “Unshackled” broadcast here.