What It Takes to Be An ‘All-American Champion”

SEARCHING FOR A FATHER

Tim Johnson grew up in Sarasota, Florida. The only male figure in his life at that time was his grandfather Butch. While Johnson’s grandmother was very loving, his grandfather was an angry alcoholic. When he was drunk, he took his anger out on his wife and not the kids. Butch did provide for them financially but when Johnson stayed at their house, it was like walking on eggshells. Confused by his love and fear for Butch, Johnson was looking for direction because his own father wanted nothing to do with him.

His mother loved him and his siblings and tried to provide for her kids by being both a mother and father by working multiple jobs to make their lives better. While she was working, the kids stayed with their grandparents. Times were tough growing up, but when Tim started playing football, he found something he was good at.

Football gave him a built-in community. It also served as an avenue to explore his identity until he found clarity in his faith during college. In 1984, facing a personal crisis during his sophomore year, Johnson was hospitalized with a suspected case of spinal meningitis. While lying on his back in the hospital, he looked upward and prayed, asking God for help. This was a pivotal moment in Johnson’s life that sparked his search for deeper meaning and purpose. After that, he began reading the Bible and attending church gatherings, eventually leading to his full commitment to Christ. This faith gave him clarity about his life's purpose: to fulfill God's plan rather than his own. As he continued to mature and learn about God as a father, Johnson no longer questioned his identity or where he belonged. Johnson knew he was a child of God and no longer fatherless. As his time at Penn State ended, he describes a powerful moment when he was touched so strongly by the Holy Spirit where he began to cry uncontrollably. In that moment, he sobbed with every part of his being. He explains, “I was sitting on the floor around a small table, and suddenly, I felt as if there was an outpouring of fresh oil. There was a presence. I was captivated, completely immersed in this feeling of love. It was the most life-changing, deepest experience. It was pure love.” This event marked a significant turning point in his spiritual journey and personal healing.    

Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round (#141 overall) of the 1987 NFL draft, Johnson played for three seasons. In 1990 he began playing for the Washington Redskins for five seasons. In 1991, Johnson played with the Redskins which became the World Championship team, earning a Super Bowl ring in Super Bowl XXVI. In 1992 he was selected to the Pro Bowl, and the following year he was elected the 1993 Redskin of the year. 

In 1996, after playing football for almost a decade, he retired. In 1996, Johnson transitioned into ministry, becoming an ordained pastor in 2000. He founded the Orlando World Outreach Center (OWOC) in Florida and has since dedicated himself to serving communities in need. His ministry emphasizes unity, healing, and proactive service to address societal divisions and crises.

In his book, Fatherless No More, Johnson outlines a three-step pathway to freedom centered on spiritual identity and reconciliation:

1. Acknowledging the need for a father: Recognizing the void left by absent or flawed earthly fathers and accepting the necessity of a paternal relationship for emotional and spiritual wholeness.

2. Confessing the impact of fatherlessness: Identifying how the lack of a father’s love has shaped behaviors, self-worth, and relationships, including tendencies toward performance-based validation or emotional withdrawal.

3. Forgiving earthly fathers: Releasing resentment and "debts" owed by absent/abusive fathers, which Johnson describes as critical for breaking generational cycles of pain and embracing divine love.

The ultimate freedom comes through embracing a new identity in God, described as an "unshakable love" that replaces earthly insecurities with purpose and belonging. Johnson emphasizes that this spiritual fatherhood, realized through Christ, provides the security and validation humans inherently crave.

THE FATHERLESS NO MORE INITIATIVE

The Fatherless No More Initiative focuses on helping those whose fathers were absent or not positive role models for their children. Particularly focusing on incarcerated men, its mission is to guide participants toward discovering their identity and value through a relationship with God as the Heavenly Father, empowering them to overcome trauma and abandonment and pursue personal transformation.
Key Features of the Initiative include:

1. Spiritual Foundation: The program emphasizes connecting participants with the Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, helping them understand their sense of belonging, beliefs, and behavior regardless of their earthly father relationships.

2. Work at Rikers Island: In 2022, Johnson expanded the initiative to New York City's Rikers Island correctional facility, offering mentorship, hope, and faith-based guidance.

• Correction officers chose participants based on their readiness to embrace change.

• The program fostered a sense of family among inmates, helping them overcome abandonment and trauma.

3. Impact: The initiative has helped men at Rikers Island build trust, discover their identity, and find hope for a new life through faith. Former participants have credited the program with transforming their lives, enabling them to pursue education and work in criminal justice reform.
The Fatherless No More Initiative continues its work by investing in humanity, believing in individuals’ potential for change, and offering them tools to rebuild their lives spiritually and socially.
 

For more information on Tim Johnson click the LINK! 

CREDITS

Author, Fatherless No More (Zondervan, 2024); Senior Pastor, Orlando World Outreach Church 
(OWOC); President of Orlando Serve Foundation; Founder, Fatherless No More initiative; NFL Super 
Bowl champion (Washington Redskins, 1991); Sports Illustrated All-Pro; NCAA Football All-American, and Penn State national champion; Previously named National Faith-Based Leader of the Year by John Maxwell; BA from Penn State; Married w/ four adult children.