In this episode of Sunburnt Souls, the Christian mental health podcast founded by pastor Dave Quak (who lives with bipolar disorder), Dave welcomes Joel A'Bell, former Hillsong Global Director and current Oceania Regional Leader for Convoy of Hope. They dive into the mental and emotional toll of high-capacity Christian leadership and how to maintain integrity and spiritual wellbeing through major life and ministry transitions. What happens when you transition from leading thousands at Hillsong to championing a global mission of hope? Joel shares his remarkable story, focusing on the often-unseen emotional weight of ministry and the importance of spiritual intimacy to prevent burnout.

Together, Dave and Joel explore: How a forgotten exemption note at 14 sparked his faith journey; the unseen emotional weight of megachurch leadership at Hillsong; the key to avoiding ministry burnout and keeping Jesus at the center; finding harmony with his wife Julia in co-leading ministry; and his current work with Convoy of Hope, empowering communities through disaster relief and children’s feeding programs. Whether you’re leading a church, a business, or your family, Joel’s story offers practical insights and encouragement to keep Jesus at the center and stay faithful through every season. This conversation will strengthen your faith and emotional wellbeing! Listen now and find hope for your leadership journey!

Whether you’re leading a church, a business, or your family, Joel’s story offers practical insights and encouragement to keep Jesus at the center and stay faithful through every season. Perfect for anyone seeking purpose with integrity!

Listen now and be inspired!
🌍 Support Convoy of Hope: convoyofhope.org
📧 Connect with us: sunburntsouls.com
💬 Share your thoughts: What’s one lesson from Joel’s journey that hit home for you?

#SunburntSouls #JoelABell #ConvoyOfHope #Hillsong #Faith #Leadership #Humanitarian #ChristianPodcast

CONNECT

Discover more from Sunburnt Souls — the Christian Mental Health Podcast that shares real stories of faith, hope, and healing at sunburntsouls.com
.
Explore our full suite of Christian mental health podcasts, devotionals, and online courses created to help you grow in faith and emotional wellbeing.

Follow Sunburnt Souls for raw conversations about Jesus, mental health, and everyday hope:
🔗 Facebook | 🔗 YouTube | 🔗 Instagram

NEW ONLINE COURSE

🧠✨ Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health
A 28-day, $28 journey designed to help you:
✅ Embrace your identity in Jesus
✅ Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
✅ Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with faith and honesty
👉 Start your 28-day journey today

Join Our Community

Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox.
👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

Support the Mission

Help us keep creating free Christian mental health podcast content that reaches people around the world with hope.
👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls

Leave a Review

Love this episode? Your review helps others discover this faith-...