The text below is an email that I sent out to friends and family yesterday afternoon. I pray that you’ll find our news exciting! To join our mailing lists, sign up here.

I had the honor of announcing Sunday morning that I have answered the call to be the pastor and planter of a new United Methodist Church in Krum, Texas, just outside of Denton. With gratitude and humility, I have answered this call from Bishop Saenz, the Cabinet of the North Texas Annual Conference of the UMC, and with the prayers and support of Rev. Dr. Owen Ross and the Center for Church Development in the North Texas Annual Conference.

This is a calling from the Holy Spirit that Leanne and I have been discerning together since I started pastoral ministry ten years ago and we are excited to be part of a new movement of the Spirit in Krum, Tx. In every church I have been blessed to serve, I have been led by God to start new things, new small groups, new Bible studies, and new outreach and evangelism programs. I was even given the privilege of starting an entirely new faith community: Family Style Burleson, the second faith community of FUMC Burleson, Tx. I also served as a Path1 Church Planting Resident at Union Coffee in Dallas for an entire year.

For the last two years, I have had the blessing of serving as the Pastor of the Connections Community, the second campus of FUMC Paris, in East Texas. During this season I (with a strong team of lay leaders) have helped this community re-plant itself in Downtown Paris, renewing outreach ministries, and building a new worship team to serve our neighbors in Lamar County and beyond.

Leanne, Wesley, Eloise, Tommy, and I will begin our new ministry in Krum on July 1! We would love for you to be a part of this journey with us through your prayers, support, and even your presence when the time comes! I'll be sending out emails periodically to share updates on our journey in building a new church, getting to know what God is doing in Krum, and general Johnston Family Hyjinx. We'll be beginning this new ministry with the full support of the North Texas Annual Conference Office, but we're kicking off our fundraising right now! The Center for Church Development is helping us getting started with a matching grant that will give us $2 for every $3 we raise (up to $30,000). That means, every $3 you give turns into $5. Your gift now, if you can, will help us to start our ministry in Krum on a firm foundation. Click here to give through the donation portal of the North Texas Conference. On the 'church donation' line, you can put your amount, and type in KRUM in the field next to it.

Thank you for being a part of this journey with us!

In Christ,

Rev. Jarrod Johnston, with Leanne, Wesley, Eloise, and Tommy