Joe Graves (he/him): Lead Pastor
Meet Joe! He enjoys almost anything creative—he’s dabbled in poetry, writing, art, painting, and woodworking—but if you ask him, he’ll tell you he’s hardly good at any of them. Joe loves watching T.V. and movies, and for fun, writes science fiction. He grew up in Hicksville, Ohio as one of seven (!) kids, but recently moved to Franklinton with his wife Allyssa and their son Finn.
Joe got his Mdiv in Church Renewal from United Theological Seminary and Bachelor of Biblical Studies from Taylor University. He is an ordained Elder in the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church. Since 2011, he’s been serving as a pastor in the United Methodist Church. First, in Defiance, OH, then when his mentor, Paul Risler, at Central Avenue UMC in Athens, OH, before moving to Columbus. In 2017, Joe and his wife planted Central City Church which later merger with St. Luke’s UMC to become Cityview Church.
Joe is passionate about issues of justice, effective communication, and responsible generosity. Along with leading as a pastor, Joe is the President of the Ohio Writers’ Association, and founder of Little Bottoms Free Store. Joe is a commissioner on the 5th by Northwest Area Commission for the City of Columbus
