When she takes the stage, one can hear the audience breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that inspirational wisdom is only seconds away. Juanita Campbell Rasmus is a speaker, writer, spiritual director, and contemplative teacher. She has been the copastor of the St. John’s United Methodist Church in downtown Houston with her husband, Rudy since 1992 with only nine members. And with determination, thoughtful teachings and the wide open arms, thousands of people from all walks of life have joined the St. John's family, making it one of the most culturally diverse congregations in the country.
Juanita has served as a member of the board of directors of Renovaré and its ministry team founded by Richard Foster, serves on the board of her alma mater, Houston Graduate School of Theology, and on advisory boards for Rice University's Religion and Public Life Program and re:MIND Houston. She has held a training position at the Jung Center at the Mind Body Spirit Institute for many years and will continue her Learning to be Immersive series in 2023.
Juanita cofounded Bread of Life, Inc., a nonprofit corporation, with Rudy in 1992 and began serving meals to the homeless in the sanctuary at St. John's. Juanita most recently teamed up with Tina Knowles Lawson and Beyoncé to help forty thousand flood victims recover in the wake of Hurricane Harvey in Houston. In addition to addressing issues of health and disaster relief, Juanita launched the Temenos Community Development Corporation in 2006, which has completed sixty million dollars in housing development projects for the previously homeless in downtown Houston. She also founded The Art Project-Houston to empower the city's homeless to become hope-filled painters and artisans who craft their own livelihood and create lives filled with new possibilities.