From Hillsong to Humanitarian: Joel A'Bell on Faith and Leadership

29 May

From Scripture Class to Global Impact: Joel A'Bell's Journey of Faithfulness

Most people don't stumble into their life's calling by accident. But for Joel A'Bell, one forgotten exemption note in a Scripture class changed everything.

It was the 1980s. Joel was 14 years old, and his parents had signed an exemption form so he could skip Scripture class at school. But one day, he forgot the note. He had to go to class. And in that ordinary moment, in that classroom he wasn't supposed to be in, he heard about God's love for everyone—and he was captivated.

"I was enthralled," Joel recalls. "Completely captivated by this story I'd never heard before."

That soft landing in a Scripture class would eventually lead him to become one of Australia's most respected church leaders. From youth pastor to senior pastor to leading Hillsong Church nationally to now directing Convoy of Hope—a global humanitarian organization impacting millions. But the journey wasn't about ambition or strategic planning. It was about faithfulness.

And that's the story Joel A'Bell wants to tell.

The Accidental Pastor: When God Asks Unexpectedly

Joel didn't plan to be a pastor. In the 1990s, after getting saved and finding his footing in faith, he was working a regular job. He'd gotten a promotion, a company car, and a pager—"yep, that's how old I am," he laughs, "no mobile phones yet."

He was excited about his career progress. So he went to his pastor's house to share the good news.

The pastor looked sad.

"What's up?" Joel asked.

"I was going to ask you to come on staff as a youth pastor," the pastor replied.

And Joel said yes. Not because of some dramatic calling or burning bush moment like Moses. Not because he'd been dreaming of ministry since childhood. He said yes because it was the natural next step. He was already serving in church. He was already helping out. Getting paid to do what he was already doing just made sense.

"It wasn't some booming voice or a burning bush moment," Joel explains. "It was just serving in church, helping out, and the next step was doing it more often. Getting paid meant I didn't have to balance a job and volunteering—it just made sense."

This is the pattern that would define Joel's entire ministry: faithfulness to the next step. Not grand vision. Not strategic ambition. Just showing up, doing well with what's in front of you, and being faithful to what God asks of you in this season.

Growing Into the Assignment: The Parable of the Talents

Joel became an associate pastor in 1993, the first year of his marriage to Julia. As the church grew, his role grew. He moved through different positions, not because he had a master plan, but because the work demanded it and he was faithful to what was in front of him.

"It was just practical next steps," Joel says. "I became an associate pastor in '93, then moved to other roles. It wasn't a strategic plan—it just happened as the church grew. God's hand was on my life, but I didn't have the words to articulate it back then. Looking back, I can see it clearly, but at the time, I was just moving forward."

Joel talks about the Parable of the Talents—the passage where Jesus says that the person faithful with a few things will be given more. "Well done, faithful with a few things, now I'll put you in charge of many things."

But here's what Joel learned: the "many things" aren't one big thing. They're lots of little things.

"The Greek shows the 'many things' are just lots of little things," Joel explains. "It's not going from a small thing to a big thing—it's lots of small things. If we're faithful with what God gives us now, treating people well, we get more to do. It's just more small things."

This is the secret to sustained growth and leadership. You don't leap from youth pastor to leading thousands of people overnight. You're faithful with your youth group. Then you're faithful with a larger youth ministry. Then you're faithful with a church plant. Then you're faithful with a multi-site church. Then you're faithful with a national movement.

Lots of small things, done well, done faithfully, done with integrity.

The Hillsong Years: Leading Thousands Without Losing Your Soul

Eventually, Joel's faithfulness led him to Hillsong Church. At its peak, Hillsong had thousands of people across multiple campuses. Julia oversaw all 30 Australian campuses—kids' ministry, youth, young adults, families, small groups, volunteers, pastoral care, new people—everything pastoral across all locations.

It was massive. It was overwhelming at times. But Joel and Julia had learned something crucial: you don't do this alone.

"I did it with seven people," Joel says. "It was just lots of small things structured well."

Seven key leaders. Thirty campuses. Thousands of people. One vision: faithfulness to Jesus and to the people in front of you.

But here's what Joel wants people to understand about leading at that scale: it doesn't require you to lose your soul. It requires you to be intentional about staying connected to Jesus.

"I struggled with that before, during, and after," Joel admits. "Even last week, writing a blog, I had to ensure it wasn't my quiet time. Those challenges never go away."

The temptation is real. When you're leading thousands of people, it's easy to let your spiritual life become about the work. Your devotions become sermon prep. Your prayer time becomes strategic planning. Your Bible reading becomes content gathering.

But Joel learned something that changed everything: spiritual intimacy with God isn't just about sitting still. It's about staying connected to Him in the midst of the doing.

"There's nothing wrong with ministry work as long as you're connecting with Him," Joel says. "Spiritual intimacy isn't just sitting still—it can happen while walking, like Jesus and His disciples picking corn on the Sabbath. Intimacy can be in the doing, like Martha, if she chooses Him in the middle of it."

For Joel, that intimacy often happens in the ocean. He's a surfer. And out in the water, under his wetsuit, he connects with the Creator in creation. That's his spiritual discipline. That's where he meets Jesus.

The Transition: When Your Assignment Changes

After years leading Hillsong, Joel and Julia transitioned to a new season. They're no longer pastoring a church, but they're still deeply involved in ministry—now through Convoy of Hope, a global humanitarian organization that feeds children, empowers women, trains farmers, and works through 4,500 program centers worldwide.

When disasters hit—floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, wars—Convoy of Hope is there. They partner with local churches to help communities recover and rebuild. And then they step back, letting the church be the hero in the community.

"The church is the exit strategy," Joel explains. "We get in, help, and get out, leaving the church to shine as a lighthouse in the community."

Is it a relief to not be pastoring a church anymore?

"It's a relief in some ways because of the turmoil that comes with pastoring," Joel says. "But it's only a relief because we're in a sweet spot, working with churches through Convoy. If we weren't interacting with churches, it'd be harder."

This reveals something profound about Joel: his calling isn't to a position. His calling is to Jesus and to serving His people. Whether that's as a youth pastor, a senior pastor, a national leader, or a humanitarian worker—the assignment changes, but the faithfulness remains.

The Key to Staying Steady: Faithfulness to Jesus, Not the Call

As Joel reflects on decades of ministry without scandal, without burnout, without losing his way, he keeps coming back to one thing: faithfulness to Jesus, not to the call.

"The challenge is staying faithful to Jesus, not the call, gift, or opportunity," Joel says. "We can get sidetracked by those things, but it's about being trustingly faithful to Him. The call can become too big a priority, but Scripture shows it's about humanity being married to God—not the mission, battle, or victory."

This is the wisdom of someone who's led thousands, navigated organizational complexity, faced criticism, and come out the other side with his integrity intact.

"If we stay faithful to Him, callings and opportunities can come and go," Joel continues. "From dust we came, to dust we return—what matters most at the end should matter most today. Keep Jesus at the center, and the rest falls into place."

For the 14-Year-Old Who Forgot His Exemption Note

Joel's message to people wondering if Jesus is for them—whether they're 14 years old or 54—is simple and profound.

"He's for everyone," Joel says. "The challenge is wading through the additives—interpretations, hurts from Christians, or misconceptions. Find out who Jesus says He is, not just what others say. Start with Scripture, but focus on Jesus' life—He reveals God's nature because He is God. Fall in love with that person, follow Him, and let the other stuff be secondary."

That's what happened to Joel in Scripture class. He fell in love with Jesus. And that love has carried him through decades of ministry, through massive responsibility, through transitions and changes and seasons of uncertainty.

It's still carrying him today.

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About Joel A'Bell

Joel A'Bell is a pastor, author, and leader with over 40 years of ministry experience. He served as a key leader at Hillsong Church, overseeing national expansion and leadership development. He now directs Convoy of Hope, a global humanitarian organization serving vulnerable populations in over 100 countries. Joel is married to Julia, with whom he's co-led ministry for over 30 years. He's passionate about developing leaders, empowering churches, and staying faithful to Jesus in every season.

Key Takeaways

•Faithfulness to the next step is more important than grand vision. Growth happens through lots of small things done well, not one big leap.

•You don't need to lose your soul to lead at scale. Spiritual intimacy with God can happen in the midst of the work, not just in quiet moments.

•Your assignment may change, but your faithfulness to Jesus remains constant. Positions come and go; what matters is staying connected to Him.

•Spiritual intimacy looks different for different people. For some it's prayer, for others it's creation, for others it's service—what matters is that you're choosing Jesus in the middle of it.

•Stay faithful to Jesus, not to the call. When you keep Him at the center, the rest falls into place.

•The church is meant to be a lighthouse in the community. Ministry isn't about building your organization; it's about empowering the local church to shine.

•Integrity is built through consistency over decades. There's no shortcut to staying steady—it's faithfulness, day after day, year after year.

Reflection Questions

As you sit with Joel's story, consider:

1.What's the "next step" God is asking of you right now? Are you being faithful with what's in front of you, or are you waiting for something bigger?

2.How do you stay spiritually connected to Jesus in the midst of your work? What does spiritual intimacy look like for you?

3.If your assignment changed tomorrow, would your sense of calling change? Or is your calling ultimately to Jesus, not to a position?

4.Who are the people in your life who need to see a leader who stays steady, stays faithful, stays connected to Jesus? How can you model that for them?

5.What "additives" have made it hard for you to see Jesus clearly? How can you cut through the noise and fall in love with Him again?