At the age of 21 months, Joel was involved in a fatal car accident that claimed the life of his father, Rev. Verbal Bean and handicapped his left arm.  This event would forever mark his life and shape him both physically and spiritually.  

Rev. Verbal Bean, Joel’s father, was a man of great prayer and faith, who operated mightily in the Holy Ghost. He was also a great revivalist, seeing hundreds of people saved and many churches transformed as a result of how God used him.  Though Joel was too young to have any memories of his father, his father’s life and legacy has motivated him to pursue God and the things of God with a great passion.   

After his father died, his mother remarried to Rev. Arthur Hodges, Jr., a great man of leadership and integrity, who raised Joel and trained him in ministry.  His mother, Nita Hodges, who remains a powerful voice in his life and in the life of so many others, influenced Joel’s prayer life at an early age, teaching him the importance of a deep relationship with God and how to pray fervently.  

Joel began his ministry as an evangelist at the age of 23, traveling for 2.5 years before youth pastoring for his brother, Rev. Art Hodges III, in Chula Vista, CA.  After youth pastoring for a year, he married the love of his life, Sheree Howell, and with his new bride, launched back onto the evangelistic field. 

Eight years and two kids later, Joel and Sheree followed the call of God to Seattle, WA, to plant a church.  With his wife and two girls, they labored as a church planter and pastored Souls Harbor Pentecostal Church in Lynnwood, WA for a total of 5.5 years.  Joel often describes this season of his life as “going to school”.  As a wise man of God once said, “Sometimes God sends you to a place to build a church and sometimes God sends you to a place to build a man.”  God used this season to build Joel and Sheree and prepare them for the future.

Leaving Seattle, WA, in 2015, Joel, Sheree, and their four children went back to the evangelistic field for what they have dubbed as their “third tour”.  They would experience several milestones during this time of their lives, including Joel receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and launching a business as a QuickBooks ProAdvisor.  God blessed them with great revival and allowed them to experience many miracles that would propel their faith in God to higher levels.  

In 2018, while working under Bishop Mark Morgan in San Francisco, CA, Joel received a call from an old friend, Rev. Bobby Lewis to come to Gray, TN, to preach.  Pastor Lewis was preparing to go to Germany to be a missionary and a few months after his first visit, Joel was unanimously elected to be Pastor of The Sanctuary in Gray, TN.

Joel continues to work alongside his beautiful wife, Sheree; three girls, Alyssa, Alivia, and Amelia; and one boy, Asher, to build a strong Apostolic Church in the Tri-Cities of East Tennessee.  He loves outdoor activities, reading, and family time.  He rarely turns down an offer for a good, strong espresso, especially if it involves talking about the things of God.  His favorite restaurant is anything Sheree cooks and exercises regularly due to his healthy appetite.  His number one passion is Prayer and desires to see the great things of God above anything else.  He loves the Tri-Cities and believes God has some amazing things in store for The Sanctuary!!