The Pain of Trials with Keith and Patti Johnson

What happens when staying faithful in ministry means walking through the fire?

In this gripping and emotional episode, Robby sits down with Keith and Patti Johnson as they share their journey through 16 years of ministry pain, spiritual opposition, broken relationships, and a shocking cancer diagnosis that nearly took Patti’s life. What started as a season of relentless hardship turned into a story of restoration, as God began to heal not only Patti’s body but also their fractured church and estranged family.

From raw conversations with God in the hospital to powerful moments of quiet surrender, Keith and Patti offer a rare and honest look at what it means to obey God when everything around is falling apart. If you’ve ever asked, “Where is God in my suffering?”, this episode offers a deeply personal answer.

This conversation explores:

•  How obedience to God sometimes means staying in painful ministry assignments longer than you’d like.
• How God can restore and heal what is broken, even through the most difficult trials of our lives.
• Why community and humor are vital lifelines for surviving ministry wounds.
• That trusting God doesn’t always feel good, but it always leads to growth.
• How trials and suffering become sacred ground when God is trusted through it.

Resources mentioned on the episode:

Care for Pastors 

The Confidante for Pastors’ Wives

Hallelujah by Casting Crowns

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

If this conversation encouraged you or someone you love, share it. You never know who might need to hear they’re not alone. Be sure to subscribe to the Care for Pastors Podcast and leave a review to help others find this healing resource.

About our Guest:

Keith and Patti Johnson have served in pastoral ministry for over 16 years and have been married for 40 years. Keith is a lead pastor who is deeply committed to “teaching truth and loving well.” After coming to faith as an adult, he followed God’s call to ministry and earned a Master of Theology (Th.M.) from Dallas Theological Seminary. He was ordained in 2003 and has spent his ministry focused on shepherding the local church and helping people experience life-changing relationships with Jesus. Patti serves on staff at Care for Pastors, where she has ministered to pastors’ wives across the country through The Confidante community. Patti helps lead the Confidante Facebook group, contributes regularly to the Care for Pastors blog, and offers compassionate support to ministry wives walking through seasons of hardship.