Joel Wallace

Director of Ministry Operations

Birmingham, Alabama

I serve people living with disabilities and churches by developing training opportunities, ministry resources, and the systems our team uses to deliver them.

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“God continually reminds me that I am more like my friends who have disabilities than we are different. While their brokenness may be more visible than mine, we all need to be redeemed in body and soul. God’s grace is sufficient for each of us in our brokenness, no matter our challenges!

Helping people living with disability become more like Christ and seeing myself and others transformed by their examples, gifts, and all they have to offer—that’s what motivates me each day!”

ABOUT ME

Birmingham, Alabama has always been home to me. I was raised here and went to college at Samford University, where I met my wife, Holly. I worked for Campus Outreach at Briarwood PCA for 18 years, except for 5 years we spent as CO missionaries in Japan, where both our kids were born.

Disability has been part of our lives for a long time, first through extended family members and close friends. It became a daily reality though with our son who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 5. Then, in 2006, considering my experiences in career ministry and as a father of a child with a disability, Briarwood called me as the first full-time director of special-needs ministry. In 2011, my work in disability ministry expanded to the denominational level when I joined the staff of Engaging Disability.

Ministry is now on three fronts: training (consultations with families and churches, online and onsite trainings, producing ministry resources), support services (our team’s operations, IT, websites), and discipleship/outreach (as a regular volunteer with Briarwood’s disability ministry to kids, adults, and families).

This work is exciting. I’ve never been in a place where my gifts were more utilized. That’s a privilege and blessing from the Lord that I don’t take for granted!

My family and I live in Hoover, Alabama (metro Birmingham) and are members of Briarwood Church.

Joel Wallace

Director of Ministry Operations

Birmingham, Alabama

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