John Downing

Nominated by:
Lisette Bonano
​
John is scheduled for ordination on Thursday, ​Dec 14th, 2023 @ The Upper Room. 

As: Pastor / Teacher​

John was raised in a difficult home where church and God were nothing more than a tradition or a place to send unruly kids after school once a week. John’s negative perspective of Christianity was solidified after he was removed by a Senior Pastor for asking questions, permanently banned from that particular church. 

At the end of May, 1998, only a few weeks before his 28th birthday, John experienced a dramatic, life-changing encounter with God, who forgave him and instantly washed him clean of guilt and shame. This encounter was in a bedroom of his small house, and suddenly needed to figure out how to live life with the intense love and presence of God Himself. He also had to find a church and learn how to interact with believers and the world around him. 
 
In 2006, John met the woman he would marry, and began to experience and learn about SOZO ministry developed and delivered by Bethel Church in Redding, CA. SOZO (https://www.bethelsozo.com/) is a ministry that gently guides people to inner healing and deliverance with the goal to uncover and address root issues that hinder personal growth and relationship with God & others. Joining Cheryl in the SOZO ministry, he actively lives a life of Listening Prayer, which is essentially asking God specific questions, listening to His response, and obeying His direction. 
 
Living a lifestyle of seeking God’s direction is of the highest importance for walking through life for John. Living a ministry lifestyle, John coaches and mentors men who have struggled with pornography, marital conflicts, and healing from past hurts. This lifestyle brought him into and out of business, transitioning to a new career track, adopting their daughter, moving his family from Oregon to Florida, and engaging in SOZO and other ministries to help guide people toward God and find emotional and spiritual freedom and healing. John has taught classes and mentored others to grow confident in hearing God for themselves and others. 
 
John lives a life of faith in three simple words: Ask. Listen. Obey. ​