Louis Johnson was ordained deacon in 2020, and priest in 2021. He described it as “a very different, unique and complex time” due to the backdrop of the pandemic. The uncertainty even delayed his ordination, but Louis didn’t see it as an obstacle. “If you feel God’s calling, regardless of a complex backdrop, you just keep going and all will be well – we can’t control the time or circumstances in which we’re called – all we can do is respond to that call.”
Originally from South Liverpool, Louis now serves as vicar at Saint Faith’s Crosby and Saint Mary’s Waterloo in Sefton South Deanery. His path to ministry came after a career as a lecturer at universities across England and Wales. Drawn to musical academia, he completed his undergraduate degree at Cambridge, yet when asked what made him pursue ordained ministry, his answer was simple: “God.”
Louis believes God calls everyone – “but all in their own special and unique way, something which is obvious to each person, making it a truly personal situation.” For him, the calling was clear: to follow Jesus, and to serve, in some way – the question was how? Following some prompting, he entered the discernment process to explore a call to the priesthood, and began training in 2017 at St Mellitus Northwest (now Emmanuel Theological College).
With an academic background in music, Louis was excited at the opportunity to study theology. He had considered residential training, but the vocations team in the Diocese of Liverpool encouraged him to focus on on-the-ground parish experience. This mix of practical ministry, classroom learning, and monthly residentials gave him a rounded and grounded preparation for priesthood. He also treasures the friendships he made through training, saying he met people “from all different corners of the country” and still keeps in touch with a group of close friends from college who are now in ministry across a range of different dioceses.
His first placement was at Liverpool Parish Church, a place he and his wife had attended for years. This familiarity made it a warm and welcoming environment in which to begin ministry, and it gave him the privilege of seeing a community he already knew from a completely new perspective. “When you start to go deeper and be part of the ministry there you find out a whole new dimension to a place and also you experience what God is.”
Reflecting on the academic side of curacy, Louis described it as “an amazing thing to be a part of, being in a classroom with like-minded people where no question is a stupid question.” He valued being surrounded by people who shared his passion for faith, supported both by the colleges and the diocesan vocations team. “There’s a great freedom to test and learn new things.”
After ordination, Louis served his curacy in central Liverpool with the St Luke in the City Team, before moving to the Diocese of Blackburn to become associate priest at Lancaster Priory, before returning in 2024 to his home diocese to serve in the coastal town of Crosby and Waterloo. “It’s incredible. Ministry is a huge privilege and a profound thing, and I would absolutely encourage everyone to say to God, here I am, what can I do? Because actually, there’s so many ways I believe we can respond to God’s call.”
Louis still believes that you never stop learning in ministry – it is “a constant opportunity to trial new things.” His advice for those considering this path is clear: “Don’t let any sort of fear hold you back. I was training with people with a range of backgrounds in college. If it’s something you feel passionate about, do it. Colleges are incredibly supportive… you’re going to be changed by the experience anyway, so don’t worry.”
Louis’s story shows that God calls people from all walks of life, in all circumstances. Whether you come from an academic background, a completely different profession, or are uncertain about your abilities, there is a place for you in ministry. With the support of the diocese and theological colleges, anyone with a willing heart can step forward and say, “Here I am, Lord.”
