Welcome to Joe's Corner

I AM A NATIVE PHILADELPHIAN. I spent my youth growing up in Southwest Philadelphia and graduated from Philadelphia public schools. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion from Lebanon Valley College, where I earned the David E. Long and Abram M. Long Memorial Ministerial scholarship for most promising religion major.

I came to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ when I was 14 years old. It was during a church summer camp experience that I became convicted of my sin and asked the Lord to cleanse me from my sin and to set me free. I asked Him to become the Lord of my life -to literally be on the throne of my life- and He did so immediately. Little did I know what He had in store for me, but I felt inexplicably drawn to Him and wanted to learn all I could about who He was and what He said to us through the Bible.

It was shortly thereafter - while I was in High School- (John Bartram Motivation) that I felt I was being called into the ordained ministry. I enrolled in Lebanon Valley College as a part of the ordination process within the United Methodist Church, in which I was raised.

It was during my college years that I began serving as Youth Director and Pastoral Assistant for Memorial United Methodist Church in Lebanon, PA. I was responsible for the administrative duties for a 175-member congregation, including responsibility for the total youth program, weekly worship service, counseling, and regular preaching. While there, I instituted a first-ever-successful Vacation Church School program by canvassing interest door-to-door throughout the surrounding neighborhood.

During my senior year in College, I came to understand that God was not calling me into the ordained ministry, and therefore I did not pursue the seminary, but did graduate with a degree in Religion.

That degree and expereince was good enough for the Boy Scouts of America to take notice of me, and I began my professional career with the Philadelphia Council, Boy Scouts of America, in January, 1985, dealing with corporate executives in establishing mentoring programs for high school aged young adults. I advanced to several other roles, including Sr. District Executive and eventually, Finance Director, where my duties included personally directing six special fundraising events annually- including one celebrity Golf Tournament and the recruitment of Chief Executive Officers as volunteers. I was also involved in many other types of programs, fundraising and administrative projects while at the Scouts, including direct mail development, grant writing and foundation solicitations, individual gift requests, corporate fundraising, newsletter development, and running a city-wide workplace phase of "Scouting for Food."

In 1995, I founded and incorporated a small marketing communications/desktop publishing company, securing contracts with the City of Philadelphia, PECO Energy, and WDAS radio.
When an offer posed itself, I restructured the company into, and sold it as, an Internet based business for the provision of senior care facilities and services. My outgoing duties were limited to continuing corporate alliances, and providing vision for the strategic plan.

I refined my management skills as Executive Director of Interfaith Housing Development Corporation of Bucks County, which I assumed in September, 1998. In this role, I provided the top leadership, direction and fundraising expertise to a fourteen-year-old affordable housing nonprofit organization and had responsibility for property development and rental programs of over $3 million annually. I was accountable for the complete administration and cultivation of eight full time staff members, a twenty-nine member Council of Representa¬tives, a fifteen member Board of Directors and over five hundred volunteers. I developed a keen awareness of human service issues, and strengthened the organization by attracting top quality leadership to the board and staff and securing hundreds of thousands of dollars in public, private, state and local funding.

In 2001, I assumed the position of Chief Development Officer for Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County. The position was expanded in 2004 and renamed Deputy Director, Administration and Finance. In this role, I was responsible for all financial administration, fundraising strategy and implementation of a $10 million housing development project. My duties included cash management for the organization’s $1.2 million annual operating budget, creation of a fundraising plan, which was unanimously adopted by the Board of Directors, the recruitment of all personnel to fulfill the plan, and the securing of all monies needed to reach the overall goal, including sponsorships, project sales, gifts-in-kind, special events, appeals, direct mail, and foundation and grant solicitations.

On many occasions, I have led staff and volunteer teams responsible for overachieving organizational and project-based goals.

In 2006, I co-founded Synergism Consutling, LLC – an organization providing “shared professional resources” to the area’s non-profit and church communities.

Around this same time period, I began working with the Philadelphia Dream Center in raising much needed funding to support the outreach ministries, of which there were many.

In mid 2006, I accompanied Pastor Chuck Paul as we handled the separation from the Dream Center parent church and ultimately reorganized the church into the Truth Matters ministry. It was during this separation that I exhibited my true character and made my stand against the untruths being propagated by the parent church.

Drawn to reformed theology during this experience, I soon became the program host for the weekly Internet interviews conducted by Truth Matters and was appointed as Executive Minister.

As the Executive Minister of Truth Matters, Inc., I am currently responsible for providing hands-on executive management for all aspects of the ministry. I also serve as the administrator of an on-line community, known as Truth Matters. My background provides me with a wide range of skills and experiences from which I draw my management and leadership styles. In addition, I have attended the following conferences:

* 2006 Ligonier Ministry Pastor’s Conference, Orlando, Florida
* 2007 Ligonier Ministry Pastor’s Conference, Orlando, Florida
* 2007 Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology

I have received numerous recognitions and awards, have held many community leadership positions, and serve as a consultant to many area churches and nonprofit organizations.

I currently live in Morgantown, PA with my wife, Leslie. I have two grown sons, David and Peter.

My personal mission statement characterizes my personality: “To help others experience a sense of Divine excellence and to inspire them by precept and example.” I tend to possess a quiet energy and humble spirit which often helps me to capture the complete confidence of others.

To God alone be the glory for the gifts and skills with which He has blessed me.

MY SERMONS
Title	Scripture
Getting Biblical About Reverence	Exodus 19:1-8
The Other Guy Syndrome	Malachi 1: 6-14
Courting Reverence	Hebrews 12:18-29
A Man After God's Own Heart	1 Samuel 16
'Almost' Only Counts in Horseshoes	1 Samuel 15