About Us
The Story of Emerging Eagles
Forty years ago, God planted a vision in the heart of one man that would eventually touch thousands of lives.
In 1985, Pastor Kenneth “Ken” Johnson answered God’s call into full-time ministry. While serving as a Tulsa police officer and ordained minister, he quickly realized that many of the people he encountered every day were not simply facing legal problems—they were facing spiritual poverty, broken families, hopelessness, and a lack of someone willing to walk beside them.
Instead of simply responding to crises, Pastor Ken began responding to people.
He founded SHARE (Stand Help And Resist Evil) to serve vulnerable families and individuals throughout the community, believing every person deserved dignity, compassion, and the opportunity to start again. Those early years established what would become the defining heartbeat of his life’s work:
People are never defined by their worst day.
That belief has remained the foundation of Emerging Eagles for more than four decades.
A Ministry That Went Wherever People Needed Hope
As the years passed, Pastor Ken’s ministry expanded beyond church walls.
His message reached:
- Schools
Colleges - Correctional facilities
- Community organizations
- Churches across the nation
- Men’s conferences
- Promise Keepers events attended by over 50,000 men
- Television audiences across America
Whether speaking to executives, athletes, incarcerated men, or struggling families, his message remained remarkably consistent:
God still has a purpose for your life.
His ability to combine biblical truth with practical life experience made him a trusted voice in communities throughout the country.
Thirty Seasons of Ministry in the NFL
One of the most visible chapters of Pastor Ken’s ministry came through his service as volunteer chaplain for the Indianapolis Colts.
For 30 seasons, he ministered to players, coaches, staff, and families during victories, defeats, injuries, personal crises, and life-changing moments.
Behind the scenes, long before sports ministries became commonplace, Pastor Ken quietly reminded professional athletes that championships never replace character and that true success begins with faith.
Those years further shaped his passion for helping men become leaders in every arena of life.
A Ministry Built Together
While many recognize Pastor Ken, he is quick to say the ministry has never been about one person.
Standing beside him through every season has been his wife, Della Johnson—affectionately known as “Mama D.”
For more than 43 years of marriage, they have ministered together as partners in every sense of the word.
Together they have:
- Raised three children
- Celebrated six grandchildren and one great-grandchild
- Modeled biblical marriage
- Opened their home to people in crisis
- Mentored families
- Walked beside countless individuals through life’s hardest seasons
When asked about their greatest accomplishment, neither mentions awards or ministry milestones.
They simply answer:
“Staying together in marriage.”
Meeting Practical Needs
Long before “community development” became a common phrase, Pastor Ken and Mama D were already living it.
For decades they invested their own resources and mobilized others to serve families throughout Indianapolis and beyond.
Their outreach has included:
- Christmas celebrations for single mothers and children
- Benevolence assistance
- Community partnerships
- Men’s mentoring
- Family restoration
- Practical support during life’s most difficult moments
Over the course of their ministry, they have helped direct more than $3 million in support to families and individuals in need.
Every Christmas became another reminder that generosity can restore dignity, and every family served became another testimony that hope is contagious.
Emerging Eagles Takes Flight
As the ministry continued to grow, one truth became increasingly clear:
People didn’t simply need a sermon.
They needed someone willing to walk with them.
That conviction gave birth to Emerging Eagles Incorporated.
Inspired by Isaiah 40:31, the organization was founded to help individuals rise above life’s greatest barriers through faith, accountability, mentoring, and practical support. Over time, its focus sharpened around empowering men, strengthening families, and transforming communities through discipleship and structured re-entry support.
Today Emerging Eagles serves through initiatives that include:
- Men’s discipleship
- Community outreach
- Re-entry support
- Benevolence ministry
- Speaking and leadership development
- Church partnerships
- Family restoration
- Practical mentoring
The organization’s mission continues to evolve while remaining anchored in its original calling:
Transforming Communities. Empowering Men. Restoring Families.
Lives Changed, Families Restored
Over four decades, the greatest accomplishments of Emerging Eagles cannot be measured only in programs.
They are measured in transformed lives.
Men who once believed their future was over discovered purpose.
Families found reconciliation.
Churches learned how to better serve returning citizens.
Young people encountered mentors who believed in them.
Community leaders discovered that restoration happens one relationship at a time.
Those stories continue to be reflected in endorsements from respected leaders, athletes, and community figures who have witnessed Pastor Ken’s authenticity, integrity, and life-changing communication. The ministry’s public testimonials include affirmations from leaders such as Mike Singletary and Clark Kellogg, who describe Pastor Ken’s ability to reach people with passion, sincerity, and practical wisdom.
The Next Chapter: Wings of Hope
Rather than slowing down after forty years, Pastor Ken and Mama D believe God is calling Emerging Eagles into its most significant season yet.
Their vision is Wings of Hope—a comprehensive ministry that combines transitional housing, workforce development, discipleship, life-skills training, mentoring, and family restoration for men navigating incarceration, addiction recovery, veteran transition, housing instability, and other major life barriers.
The vision includes:
- The Hub Center — where men receive workforce training, financial literacy, leadership development, and biblical discipleship.
- Hope House — a structured transitional housing community that provides safety, accountability, and holistic support as men rebuild their lives.
This vision reflects a simple but powerful belief:
When a man is restored, a family is restored. When families are restored, communities are transformed.
Looking Forward
Emerging Eagles has never been about creating an organization.
It has always been about building people.
From a police officer answering God’s call in Tulsa…
to thirty seasons serving NFL families…
to decades of Christmas outreaches…
to mentoring men behind prison walls…
to helping families find hope…
to preparing a permanent place where restoration can happen every day…
the mission has remained unchanged.
Every life matters.
Every family matters.
Every person deserves the opportunity to soar.
As Emerging Eagles enters its next season, the invitation remains the same as it was in 1985:
Join the mission.
Pray.
Serve.
Partner.
Give.
Walk beside someone who needs hope.
Because the greatest chapters of the Emerging Eagles story are still being written.