From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev. (Genesis 12:8-9)

Johny Noer played an important role in building the foundations of the Christiania Church, known in Danish as Christianiakirken. A short summary of his story is presented here as a testimony to his life and its ongoing spiritual fruits, as someone who has committed himself whole-heartedly to following Jesus as an obedient servant of the LORD God.

Johny had founded the Young Christians Unge Kristne ministry together with Johannes Facius in Denmark during the late 1960s, that conducted the first missionary activities in Christiania shortly after the freetown had been founded. One day, Johny Noer felt that he should go to Christiania, and met a visiting pusher called Sten Thomsen. Johny shared his Christian faith with Sten, and gave him an ultimatum: he had three days to make a decision of whether or not to accept Jesus as his saviour. Sten did so.

After 5 years of working with drug addicts, Johny and Johannes were told by God to close this ministry. Johny then followed God’s calling in 1977 to travel overland to Israel in a convoy of gypsy caravans, preaching the gospel along the way in eastern Europe during the communist era, and then in Asia Minor. The journey took 25 years before he reached Israel, where he settled for 12 years in the Negev.

Johny has now returned to live in Denmark where he continues his teaching ministry. Although he is in his 80s, he is still an activist: he has taken the Danish government to court for contravening Denmark’s constitution through the legalisation of homosexual marriage, and he is currently leading a campaign against legalising sex-change surgery on children.

During the winter half year, Johny preaches once a month at the Christiania Church's 4 PM Sunday service.