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So, you want to know a little more about me,
huh? OK...proceed at your own risk. In here I get to bare my
soul, so to speak, giving the world a glimpse into what makes me
tick. Gee, this sounds rather intrusive already! What?
This isn't the page you were looking for? If you insist on
leaving, click HERE to
go back to our home page. Otherwise, read on to get the scoop.
How did you end up at Calvary Temple?
We came to Birmingham in 1991 after I got out of the Air Force.
While finishing up my degree at Lee University, my wife lived here to be
near her family and we ended up staying here because the pastor at
Calvary Temple hired me as the Minister of Education. When he
retired 10 years later, I became the pastor.
Where are you from?
Everyone asks me that and I never know how to answer. You see, my
dad was in the Air Force and we lived all over the world. I've
lived in various states in New England, Louisiana, and
all over the southeast and even the Philippines. I'm from nowhere and everywhere, how's
that for an answer?
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 What's
up with the "JoeCool" thing?
Ever since I was a kid, Snoopy has been kind of a hero of mine.
He's the ultimate "cool" dude. Snoopy
kind of lives outside the box. He doesn't subscribe to the normal
dog expectations. How many dogs do you know that talk to birds,
shoot down the red baron and play baseball? I don't like to be
confined to the box of conformity either. Sometimes my imagination
runs away...and I chase after it. Who wrote the rules on what
"normal" is anyway? If you are looking for a pastor that
fits the mold of a typical pastor, keep looking. I'm allergic to
molds. Who wants to be a moldy pastor?
What's your theological position?
What? This page is for other kinds of info. Check our
doctrinal page. Next question!
What's your favorite food?
Ahh...that's more like it! I love seafood! Oh yeah, and
steaks. Wait, I love veggies too...corn straight from my
garden-now that's good eating! It's hard to grow corn in suburbia.
I've thought about plowing up the power company easement next to our
house, but the neighbors might not like that too much. Let's not
forget skittles- isn't that one of the major food groups? I haven't
met too many foods I don't like. I guess that's because my parents
exposed me to so many different kinds of food growing up. I didn't
always like everything they gave me - like liver - but I did learn to
develop a broad palate. Let's hope I don't develop a broad waist!
 What do you do with your free
time? Free Time, I get free
time? Nobody told me that! I thought preachers were supposed
to pray for 12 hours, study for 12 hours and visit people for 12
hours...I know, that's 36 hours. Amazing how much we can get done
in a day, isn't it! Let's face it, if I don't get some free time,
I'm going to get moldy, so here's what I like to do. I love to
spend time with my family. I have an amazing wife and two great
kids. They are pretty much the center of my world (other than
Jesus, of course). When we get to do something fun together, we
love to be outdoors. That is, unless it's 104 in the shade with
humidity at 110%. (Come to Alabama, you'll understand)
Anything outdoors is fun for me. I love fishing, hiking (my wife
isn't crazy about that one, but she tolerates it well) camping,
swimming, snorkeling, etc. Vacations for us include the beach or
the mountains. Jan prefers the beach, I prefer the
mountains. But we can't really go wrong either way.
Also, I have to confess an addiction
here. I've become hooked on sudoku puzzles. I just love
trying to figure those things out. I like to read. The Bible
is number one, but I also read other stuff too. (remember, no
mold) I like Popular Mechanics and Popular
Science magazines and fortunately I have a great source. One
of our church members let's me read his when he's done with them.
I like National Geographic too. Science and nature are two
of my favorite hobbies. What, you didn't know those were
hobbies? I like to bowl, but give me a pair of binoculars and a
swamp and I'll be busy for hours. I thought about being a
veterinarian until the Lord called me into ministry. Now I study
nature and science and use them for sermon illustrations. It's
God's world and it makes a good illustration for God's Word.
I'm also an amateur photographer and
videographer. Some of my videography can be seen at my YouTube
site. I also finally put some photographs on the web, which you
can see here.
I'll be adding to that later.
Alabama or Auburn?
That's easy - The Atlanta Braves! Come on, you don't think I'm
gonna fall for a politically loaded question like that, do you?
Besides, I'm more of a baseball fan than football. When I grew up
in Maine as a kid, I began to watch the Boston Red Sox (still a huge
fan, by the way). When we moved south, I started to follow the
Braves. If by some weird kind of miracle the Braves and the Sox
ever played together in the world series, I don't know what I would
do. Probably have to root for the Red Sox.
What kind of music do you listen
to? Here's another area where
I have a broad palate. Most of the stuff I listen to these days is
Christian music, but I like so many different styles of music.
Some of my favorites include The Newsboys, Michael W. Smith, Stephen
Curtis Chapman, Toby Mac, Jars of Clay, Hillsong, Salvador, Reliant K,
Delirious?, Mercy Me, etc. I also enjoy classical and jazz.
Anything by Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Gershwin, John Williams, etc. My sons
are both musicians and I love to play a few instruments myself. Just another hobby I enjoy.
 What about movies and TV?
Hmm...that's a tough one. I love movies. Cars has
been on the top of my list for a while now. I like anything Pixar
makes. I'm a scifi fan, so anything to do with space is definitely on my
list. I like Star Wars, Star Trek, 2001,
etc. The Lord of the Rings was excellent, as were the books
(I've read them twice). I'm not much into thrillers. I'm not
crazy about sad movies either. I like comedy, so anything that
gives me a good laugh is great. It's just getting harder to find
funny movies that are also clean enough to watch. Again, the
science and nature thing fits in here. I'm just as happy watching
a Bugs Bunny cartoon as I am a documentary on string theory (that's
physics). Planet Earth has got to be one of the best
documentary series I've ever seen. And I love TV shows like Mythbusters,
Dirty Jobs or Man Vs. Wild. And let's not forget
the best TV show ever made: The Andy Griffith Show!
Just nip it in the bud!
Well, I guess that's enough. If you want
to know more about me, feel free to come to church. We can go to
lunch and eat seafood and I'll tell you everything you want to
know...well almost everything! If you really want to see what's in
my heart, listen to some of my sermons. That's the real
deal. I love Jesus and I have the greatest job in the world.
God Bless,
Pastor Joe
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