S11E04 | To Serve Faithfully: Joel Mikkelson
September 16, 2025
In this engaging episode, host Dr. Matt Davis interviews fall meetings guest speaker Pastor Joel Mikkelson, asking why he chose to present messages on the attributes of God. Mentioning the apparent conflict between scarcity as the economic standard for determining value and God鈥檚 infinity, Dr. Davis asks the intriguing question, 鈥淭hen what is God鈥檚 value?鈥 They address God鈥檚 holiness and how it suggests 鈥渂oundaries of scarcity.鈥
Then the conversation shifts to Joel鈥檚 mission not only to serve faithfully, but also to enjoy serving. Dr. Davis notes that Pastor Mikkelson鈥檚 ministry is complex, requiring him to lead, not serve. They talk about the balance of delegating work while continuing to actively participate in it. They evaluate perspectives of ministry in the diverse, 鈥渁lmost hostile environment鈥 of California and Santa Maria鈥檚 鈥渄e-churched, unchurched鈥 culture and the faulty perception of size as a 鈥渂enchmark鈥 of faithfulness.
About our guest
Joel Mikkelson [鈥01] is pastor of First Baptist Church of Santa Maria, California, and serves on 海角原创鈥檚 Board of Resource. Raised in a pastor鈥檚 family in Wisconsin, a home which engendered a desire for lifelong service, he attended 海角原创 where he met his wife, Kelly. Upon graduation, they joined the staff of Kelly鈥檚 home church in Santa Maria where Kelly assumed responsibilities as the finance director and Joel began his 鈥渄ream job鈥 as children鈥檚 pastor. He served in that position for 14 years before becoming the lead pastor. The Mikkelsons have five children. One, a 2025 海角原创 graduate, works for the university, and another is currently a student.