Christy Johanningmeier

JH Bible Teacher

Phone:  480.900.7100

Christy grew up in a small town in northeastern Oregon. Although she enjoyed small town life as a kid, she often dreamed of seeing the world. Attending university in the big city of Seattle was a good first step, but in her first year, God called her to go further through missions.

Christy spent her first three years of expat life in a crash course of learning about culture and education in China. She fell in love with teaching, travel, and cultural exploration during that time. She taught English to elementary and university students and enjoyed making connections with her students by chatting in “English cafes” or by playing a spirited game of ping pong.

Following that adventure, Christy continued her Asian tour in Seoul where she taught third grade for 6 years at an international school. There she developed a taste for spicy food, surprising herself with a love for kimchi. She also gained a deep appreciation for the incredible amount of hard work that elementary teachers do, and went back to thank many of her own teachers for their amazing sacrifices.

Realizing that Bible was really the subject of the day that she loved teaching the most, Christy decided to specialize her talents. She returned to the US for a few years to attend seminary. The three years she spent at Fuller Theological Seminary deepened both her love for Jesus and her passion for teaching others how to know Him more through studying His word.

Christy headed back overseas to continue this mission in Ghana, West Africa. She taught Bible to 6th through 10th grade students, developing a curriculum that was designed to meet academic standards, but also to challenge students spiritually in spite of their very diverse religious backgrounds. While in Ghana, Christy was challenged on many personal and spiritual levels, but found God to be continually and graciously faithful every step of the way. She also soaked up many travel experiences in Ghana, including frequent beach trips, hiking in the jungle, and a safari to see wild elephants.

Christy has returned to the US to be closer to family, especially her adorable niece. She is excited to have the opportunity to continue her ministry of teaching Bible at Valley Christian. In her spare time, whenever she gets any, Christy enjoys travel, reading, playing tennis and soccer, and discussing anything related to theology or culture.

Fuller Theological Seminary, Masters of Divinity, 2012

Seattle Pacific University, Bachelor of Arts, 2000