When William Johnston ’16 began his collegiate journey at Azusa Pacific University, he knew that he wanted to make the most of his experience. As he walked into his Christian Life, Faith, and Ministry (CLFM) class the first week of school, Johnston met Matt Elofson, PhD, a professor who would not only become a trusted mentor, but also a lifelong friend. “Most people think of professors transactionally, as someone to learn from to prepare you for your career,” Johnston said, “but I always saw the connection as pursuing a friendship. Matt and I continue to cultivate a relationship that has grown over the years.”
Originally from Watsonville, California, Johnston began going to church in high school. “I loved my youth group. Church was a place where I was accepted and deeply cared for,” he said. “I soon felt called into ministry, and although I questioned it at first, God gave me a deep sense of peace. I’ve always loved serving people and helping restore lives. Looking back, I see how God uniquely shaped me for ministry.” Johnston began searching for Christian colleges where he could deepen his faith, and after attending a leadership conference with his church at APU, he knew the school was the perfect fit.
Johnston quickly found belonging on APU’s campus and began serving in a variety of roles, including as an ambassador, mission trip leader, and a resident advisor. Along with involvement in co-curricular activities, Johnston thrived in his theology and ministry courses. Over the next four years, Johnston would take five classes with Elofson, including CLFM, Evangelism and Discipleship, Culture and Ministry, Youth Ministry Topics, and a Senior Seminar which focused on God’s mission in the world. “The most formative part of Matt’s classes was that he taught me how to think about theology, not what to think,” Johnston said.
Reflecting on these classes, Elofson emphasized the importance of exploring their different beliefs. “I went to a denominational school where I was taught more of what to think. I was given a good depth of thought, but it was very limited in the breadth and scope of theology,” Elofson said. “I’ve always wanted to give students the skills to think theologically on their own, as opposed to me just imparting my perspective. I want them to be equipped to be lifelong followers of Christ.” Elofson reflected on when his students would hear varying perspectives on a scripture or issue and be surprised that not all Christians had the same perspectives as they did on certain beliefs or practices.
Johnston’s favorite parts of learning from Elofson were being challenged in his thinking. “I enjoyed learning to see theology from a different lens. I valued how Matt was able to see when a student can push more for something and draw that out of them,” Johnston said. “I found a deeper understanding of God at the end of each of those courses and that has definitely impacted my ministry. I think back to the things I learned from him every single week.”
Elofson recalled how Johnston would rarely have the best grade in his class, mostly because he was devoting so much of his time to his position as an RA and his internship at Village Covenant Church, but he still thrived in the subject material. “I would often tell my students that I hope they are more concerned with learning how to think theologically than the grade they get in my class. I want them to have real-life takeaways from the course,” Elofson said. “Will constantly wanted to engage in those types of conversations and learn more.”
These conversations weren’t limited to the classroom. By his junior year, Johnston began having lunch and talking with Elofson about his faith and what was going on in his world every week. Johnston had a million questions, and even if Elofson didn’t have direct answers, he was always happy to talk with Johnston about them and expand his worldview. “Finding someone like Matt that is so far ahead of me in the profession of ministry helped me lean into how I could grow,” Johnston said. “I’d call him with things I’d been wrestling with for weeks, and he’d know how to help because of all the experience he’s had. My friendship with Matt has been such a joy and a gift to the totality of my life.”
Their bond did not end when Johnston graduated in 2016. The two would continue to meet regularly for meals, and Elofson attended many of Johnston’s birthday celebrations. “He was always the oldest one there,” Johnston laughed. “But I treasured him being there. Matt has become part of the fabric of my life. I don’t think there will ever be a season where he won’t be a part of it.” Elofson was one of the first people Johnston introduced to his then girlfriend and now wife. “I thought it was so funny when she said, ‘We’re getting dinner with one of your old professors? That’s kind of weird,’” Johnston said. “I was like, ‘Well yeah, he was a professor of mine, but he’s also my friend.’” Elofson was thrilled to attend their wedding.
Elofson also continued to serve as a mentor for Johnston in his ministry. Johnston had been serving as an intern, then a youth coordinator at Village Covenant Church from 2012-16. While he loved his work there, a small part of him knew he wanted something more, so he called Elofson. “He told me, ‘I think you’re really comfortable. You’re doing great where you’re at, but you have more in the tank. You need to keep refining yourself so you can grow in a challenging environment,’” Johnson said. “I didn’t love hearing that, but I prayed over it and realized he was right.” Johnston decided to challenge himself, applying for a position at Saddleback Church. Saddleback represented a massive change. Johnston went from a congregation with about 30 people to one with more than 30,000 (with all campuses combined). He began serving as a student ministries pastor at Saddleback’s Corona campus in 2016. “Young people have so many questions, and it’s rewarding to have deep theological conversations with them,” Johnston said. “I was able to take so much of what I learned from Matt and other faculty at APU and apply it in my role in helping students grapple with theological truths.” After three years, Johnston transitioned to the campus’ connections pastor. His new role continued with much of the same work, but with adults instead of youth. “I loved helping people better understand how to find ways to live that honor their faith, how to discern their vocation and calling, and how they could best work as Christians in their secular work environments.”
Today, Johnston serves as the campus pastor at Saddleback’s new Huntington Beach location. “Because I’m the first pastor at this campus, I get to dream about the potential of what it can be, and I also see what God’s already doing in the community,” Johnston said. “I believe that God’s working on something here. Being able to empower the 300 members of my congregation to serve the needs of the community is special.” Johnston is the youngest campus pastor in the history of Saddleback Church and Elofson couldn’t be more proud of his former student and friend. “The fact that Saddleback trusts him to be a campus pastor at such a young age speaks volumes about his character, who he is, and who they think he can become,” Elofson said. “God’s using him not only to help others grow in their faith, but to impact their lives in powerful ways.”
Elofson said there is no way he can take credit for Johnston’s success. “Take credit man,” Johnston laughed. “I’m so thankful for APU. I don’t think there’s been anyone I can credit more than Matt. There’s so much I was able to glean from him. I don’t think I’d have this role with such great responsibility if I didn’t have the training and those challenging moments in his classroom. At a place like APU, with professors like Matt, why would you not take advantage of getting to know and learn from them every opportunity that you can? That’s when the student professor relationship grows from being something transactional to something truly transformational.”