Dr. Terry Johnsson

Portland native Dr. Terry Lyndon Johnsson serves as mission integration executive for Adventist Health Portland. Through his work, Dr. Johnsson leads spiritual care as well as the community well-being program. He is also a board-certified chaplain.

Dr. Johnsson is active in creating unique spiritual care models for Adventist Health Portland that benefit both the health system and the city of Portland. Because of his model of “let’s be friends with the community, before they become patients,” Dr Johnsson was invited to become a member of the Royal Rosarians, the oldest civil group in Portland, through which he serves as a goodwill ambassador for the city.

He also founded a nonprofit high school mentoring program, Student Healthcare Leaders, to give high school students exposure to all aspects of the health care world. In February 2018, Dr. Johnsson was awarded the city’s prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Johnsson’s achievements are nothing short of a miracle, considering he was diagnosed with an extreme case of dyslexia as a young man. He was the first African American from Oregon to serve in the U.S Air Force Presidential Honor Guard at the White House, a role he continued through three presidencies. He went on to earn two undergraduate degrees, a master’s degree and a doctorate at Wesley Theological Seminary. His full story can be found in his books For His Honor and Aim High.

Terry has traveled and spoken to thousands of young people in all 50 U.S. states and in 67 countries, including the former USSR, sharing fascinating stories of hope, healing and inspiration.

Dr. Johnsson’s LinkedIn