Joel was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana as well as on the mission fields of Peru and Haiti. His family relocated to Northwest Arkansas in the 90's where Joel met his wife Sarah. They married in January 1996 and have three children: Hannah, Bethany and Josiah.  

Joel has been in ministry his entire life and has led worship and pastored since 1995; he was ordained in 1999.
 In 2005, Joel and Sarah joined Keypoint Church under Pastors Casey and Stacey Henagan. During their time at Keypoint, Joel served as the Worship Pastor and Sarah served as the Children's Pastor. They were able to experience Keypoint's growth into one of Northwest Arkansas ' most influential churches before moving to Virginia.

At the beginning of 2011 during a church wide fast, God began to speak to the Brown family that a "transition was coming".
 In September 2011, the vision for Church at Hampton Roads was birthed and the Brown family arrived in Chesapeake, VA in April of 2012. Joel is driven by one word: "others".

We believe the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible, irrevocable and complete Word of God.
(2 Tim. 3:16-17)

We believe God is triune: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the three-in-one.
(1 John 5:7)

We believe that man was created in the image of God, but that by voluntary disobedience he fell from perfection and died spiritually. We believe that the change, which takes place in the heart and life at conversion, is a literal one and is the result of being born of the Spirit of God.
(2 Cor. 5:17, Gal. 2:20, John 3:5 -7)

We believe that it is the will of God that we walk in relationship with the Holy Spirit continually.
(Eph 4:30–32, 1 Cor 12:1-11, Gal 5:22-23, Rom 12:6-8, Eph 4:11-13)

We believe that heaven and hell are literal places, eternally existent.
 (John 14:2, Rev. 7:15-17) 

We believe in the Biblical definition of marriage. Jesus Himself told us that a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife.  We believe the act of sexual intimacy is reserved for marriage.
(Mark 10:7)

We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His Image. We believe life begins at the moment of conception to natural death. 
(Acts 17:25, Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:7; Genesis 4:15; Isaiah 64:8; Hebrews 9:27; Judges 13:3-4; Deuteronomy 5:17)