Fr. Joel spent his earliest years in Massachusetts and Indiana, but grew up mostly in Southeastern Ohio. He joined the Orthodox Church along with his family (who had previously been part of the Religious Society of Friends/Quakers) at the age of 8. He grew up nourished on the beauty of the Orthodox Church's teachings and worship and the lives of the Saints, and gradually realized a sense of vocation to share that beauty with a world desperately in need of it.He studied philosophy and psychology at Malone University in Canton, OH, and attended St Tikhon's Seminary in South Canaan PA, where he graduated with an MDiv in 2015. He was ordained to the priesthood in January of 2017, and assigned to Holy Apostles Orthodox Church in Lansing, NY in February of 2017. As a chaplain of OCF at Cornell, he helps to lead prayer services and facilitate spiritual discussions, and provides spiritual guidance and sacraments. Being both a parish priest and a campus chaplain, he especially works to help students integrate with a local church community during their time at Cornell.Fr. Joel, his wife, and their two children live on a small "homestead" in Freeville, NY, with a few sheep and chickens as well as trees and gardens. He plays the banjo (and occasionally other instruments), and since moving here has been continually inspired by the natural beauty of the Finger Lakes region.