Joel grew up in Alabama and Florida the fourth of six children. He became a Christian in 1969 and committed himself to full time Christian service in 1975. He attended Southeastern Bible College in Birmingham and Grace Seminary in Winona Lake, IN. He married Deanna in 1980 and they have three children, Caleb (b.1986), Carissa (b.1988), and Micah (b.1991). He enjoys basketball, guitar, biographies, old western movies, and a good steak dinner.
Joel has been at Calvary since July of 1987. His personal life verse is Ezra 7:10 which says that Ezra had prepared his heart to study, live, and teach the Law of the Lord. His passion for ministry is driven by the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my Church” and by the words of Paul in Ephesians 3:21, “To Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus.”
Phill Howell: Pastor of Student Ministries
Family: Wife - Christine, Daughter - Elyanna)
Education: Graduated from Northern High School in Owings, MD. Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree at Olivet Nazarene University
Hobby or what you like to do if you had a free day: If I had a free day I would play basketball or go for a run, spend a few hours relaxing with a good book or listening to a sermon and then I would spend the rest of the day with my family doing whatever.
What is your favorite movie: I really don't know. I thought long and hard about it and for a variety of different reasons there is not 1 movie that I would call my favorite.
What is your favorite book: The Holy Bible (Favorite book of the Bible: James)
What is your favorite food: A Creamy/Cheesy Pasta with a seafood
Ice cream: Breyer's Mint Chocolate Chip (the Breyer's is really important)
Candy bar: Heath Bar
How long have you been in the church: I have been at Calvary for 2 Years and 5 Months and Working at Calvary for 5 months.
Sherry Mitchell: Children's Ministry Director
Sherry has been at Calvary for 20 years and employed there for 18 of these years! Her passion is seeing kids become a part of God's family and then helping them grow in their walk with Jesus.
Sherry grew up in Zion Illinois and attended Moody Bible
Institute where she majored in Children's Education. She met her husband, Steve, there and they have been married for 33 years. For 13 years they lived in Colorado where her three daughters were born: Mary, Arwen and Abi. Steve's job with the Federal
Aviation Administration brought them to Kankakee. Sherry now has two grandchildren: Eowyn who is 2 and James who is 8 months. They are the delight of her life.
Sherry likes to have fun! Part of the fun
includes reading (anything by Gene Stratton Porter), shopping for shoes (I won't tell you how many pairs she has!), drinking really good coffee, spending time with her daughters, and watching HGTV. Favorite movies would be: Tremors, Lord of the Rings, and Signs- actually, if it has giant creatures of any
kind, she will like it.
If you ever visit her office (please do!), you will see
that Sherry colects frogs. She has over 500 of them!
Calvary Bible Church is a member of the Evangelical Free Church of
America denomination