Joel Pelsue
Transitional Pastor
Joel grew up in Denver, Colorado, and first came to California to attend Westmont College in Santa Barbara where he met his wife, Michelle. After studying in Jerusalem, Israel and Orlando, Florida they helped plant a church in New York, and then returned to California in 2003. Joel is the President of Arts and Entertainment Ministries (AEM) in Los Angeles, California. He and his wife Michelle co-founded this non-profit in 2004. AEM disciples men and women working in the heart of the art world and the entertainment industry.
Joel is a classically trained jazz musician (sax, clarinet and flute), who started playing in orchestra pits at age 14, while his wife Michelle started performing as a professional actress on stage and in film at age 15.
Joel earned his B.A in Philosophy from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, and his M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. He has been a pastor in New York and in Los Angeles for over 25 years. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Michelle, and 3 kids: Reid, Sophia, and Alexandria.
Joel loves jazz, great coffee, fiction and non-fiction books, and speaking on the intersection of faith and culture.