Pastor Joel was born in Fargo, ND and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He attended Morningside College from 1984-1988 and graduated with a major in Religious Studies & minored in Theater. Following college, he enlisted into the Navy for four years that included two deployments. After his enlistment, he came back to Sioux Falls and began graduate school at Sioux Falls Seminary. He graduated in 1996 and is an Elder in the UMC.

Joel brings a wealth of experiences to our church:  while in seminary, he served part time at Asbury United Methodist Church as their assistant pastor primarily for the youth. He then took his first full-time position as the Campus Pastor at Dakota Wesleyan University. Joel has served as an Associate Pastor and the Senior Pastor at Watertown First UMC in S.D. and, also served as the Senior Pastor at the Celebration United Methodist in Brandon, South Dakota, which is near Sioux Falls.

Before moving to Waterloo, IA, Joel was finishing a one year stint as the full- time Chaplain for the South Dakota Air National Guard. Joel has 14 years of military service and 30 years of pastoral experience.