Joel, the son of missionary parents, grew up in Mexico. He graduated from Emmaus Bible College and Dallas Seminary. He and his wife Amy served in pastoral and outreach ministries among churches in California and Texas. They spent eight years church planting in Mexico and 15 years leading the missions program at Emmaus Bible College. Currently, Joel serves as vice president of communication at Christian Missions in Many Lands, and as executive director at Overseas Publishing and Literature. Both organizations have at their core the advancement of God’s mission in the world.