Janie is a passionate singer, pianist, worship leader, and inspirational speaker with a deep love for God and a heart for worship. Her life-long love of music has led to serving as minister of music, choir director, and piano teacher along with other forms of music and ministry. After her husband Rich Downing’s death in 1997, Janie returned to college and graduated from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a certificate as a Teacher of English as a Second Language (ESL). In 2003 she moved to Beijing, China where she spent the next six years teaching English and sharing Jesus’ love.
From 2009 to 2021, Janie lived in Tacoma, Washington where she taught piano and taught and tutored students in ESL. She first attended Evangelical Chinese Church of Tacoma and assisted them as a pianist. She also was a coordinator for both the college outreach ministry and the youth orchestra, arranging music for the young musicians to play for worship and special music. Janie also attended Sunset Bible Church where she was a member of the church’s worship ministry. She eventually attended New Community Church of Tacoma in Tacoma, Washington until 2021 in order to attend church with her daughter’s family.
Janie is also a piano teacher. She has been teaching piano for more than 40 years and currently teaches online from her home through Evensong Music Studio. She has three children and five grandchildren.
In 2020, Janie began recording older church songs which she plays and sings on her YouTube channel. These are songs of encouragement from old hymns to songs of inspiration as well as songs she has written. You can find her by clicking on the YouTube button on this page or by clicking on this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2SoigPLip39MBsCC9vbnOQ.
In May of 2021, after more than 23 years as a widow, God blessed her life with a new husband, John D Ray, or JD as she calls him. He was her family’s former pastor in Anchorage, Alaska when they moved there in 1976. In October of 2020, she and JD reconnected after more than 40 years, and were married a few months later. In August of 2021, they relocated to Rio Rancho, New Mexico. JD has begun his own YouTube channel where he is now sharing God’s message of love and truths from His Word. You can find him by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=john+d+ray
To read about Janie’s life lessons and stories, along with insights from the Word of God and her walk with Him, read her Blog which she calls “Pearls.” Her desire is that you might find something to encourage you along your journey of life.