Doris Pearl Johnson

Doris Pearl Johnson was born on September 20, 1931, to Oscar and Elizabeth Puckett, on the
outskirts of the town of Slayden, TN, located on the border with Kentucky. Her first ancestor in
America arrived on the Mayflower ship in 1620 and his future descendants eventually settled in
the Appalachian mountains. Before she turned five years old, her father followed the migration
to Detroit, MI, to find a job in the car factories. Her family became very involved in Berea
Tabernacle, then helped start the Wayne Assembly of God church and the Plymouth Assembly of
God church.
Doris began learning to play the piano at the age of five and was the church pianist by the age
of twelve. She and her piano teacher, who was pianist for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra,
intended for her to attend Julliard Institute of Music and go on to become a renowned concert
pianist. Much to her piano teacher’s chagrin, a call to missions redirected Doris to Central Bible
Institute in Springfield, Missouri, where she became acquainted with Bernhard Johnson Junior, a
missionary kid from Brazil with plans to return there for ministry.
Doris and Bernhard married in their last year of college and went out to northern California
where they pastored two churches, followed by two years traveling as evangelists until the
opportunity came to move to Brazil with their young daughter Elizabeth. Son Terry was born a
year later and son David arrived three years later.
Doris and Bernhard began their missions work starting and pastoring churches but they felt
stirred to go into mass evangelism by preaching crusades throughout the country. They held
these crusades for thirty years in Brazil and seventy other countries until Bernhard’s passing in
early 1995 at the age of 63. Throughout their 43 years of ministry together, they saw 1.8 million
people receive Jesus as Savior in the crusades in Brazil and their ministry throughout the United
States and other countries.
Doris and Bernhard moved their family to San Jose, California, in 1971 to facilitate his fund-
raising for the crusades and other ministries they founded, which included Brazil Extension
School of Theology, Campinas Bible Institute, Children Of Brazil Outreach, a television
ministry, International Correspondence Institute and others under the umbrella of Bernhard
Johnson Ministries (BJM), the organization that they founded to support all this work. They
made Bethel Church, San Jose, their home church and the pastors made office space available for
BJM until Doris officially retired from the Division of Assemblies of God World Missions in
2023, after 68 years of missionary work dedicated to the nation and people of Brazil whom she
loved and who loved her dearly. In April, 2023, she moved from her home in San Jose, CA, to
live with her daughter Beth in Prineville, OR.
Doris is survived by daughter Beth Mapes and her husband Neal, of Prineville, OR, son Terry
Johnson and wife Beth, of Campinas, Brazil, and son David Johnson and wife Chris, of Redding,
CA, along with four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Doris survived her seven
siblings and departed from her earthly dwelling to her eternal home on April 27, 2025, leaving
behind many memories, friends, ministerial colleagues and much work accomplished for the

Lord. As the work in Brazil is continuing after Doris’ passing, the family requests that in lieu of
flowers, donations be sent to Bernhard Johnson Ministries at 1201 S. Winchester Blvd., San Jose,
CA, 95128, which will be distributed between Brazil Extension School of Theology and
Children Of Brazil Outreach.

There will be a memorial service on Saturday May 3, 2025 at 11:00am at Prineville Funeral Home. (199 NE 10th St Prineville, OR, 97754)

Livestream Video Link

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