RICHMOND, Va. — A
21-year-old student missionary with the Southern Baptist International Mission
Board (IMB) was killed April 12 in a motorcycle accident in the southeastern
African country of Mozambique.
Jeremiah Johnson, a member
of Royal Palms Baptist Church in Phoenix, Ariz., and driver of the motorcycle,
was riding with an interpreter (name withheld for security reasons) when the
accident happened. Reports from overseas personnel say Johnson was killed
instantly in the accident and his passenger was injured. Details on the
interpreter’s condition and how the crash happened were not available at press
time.
“Our hearts are broken,”
said Charles Lord, pastor of Royal Palms. “We’re very proud of Jeremiah. God
had been working in his life…. He was serving the Lord to reach people who
were unreached with the gospel.”
Johnson was working with the
IMB’s Hands On initiative among an unreached people group.
The program enables
college students to work on the mission field for a semester.
Johnson was a
student at Glendale (Ariz.) Community College.
Johnson is the son of Diana
and David Johnson. David is director of Golden Gate Baptist Theological
Seminary’s Arizona campus. Jeremiah also is survived by sisters Rachel and
Talitha and brother Merritt.
Lord described Johnson as
courageous and willing to go wherever God was calling him to serve.
“We’re
really going to miss him,” the pastor said.
Funeral arrangements are
pending.