Joel and Jill Skinner have been members of Lamar Baptist Church since 2000. They were sent out by LBC in 2009 to serve with Africa Inland Mission. They lived in the country of Uganda as full-time missionaries and traveled extensively throughout Eastern and Central Africa where Joel oversaw the work in the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda. They lived in Uganda until 2019 when God called them back to the US.
Joel serves as one our elders here at LBC. He has been in software development, missionary service, pastoring, coaching and teaching. He most recently has joined a US based mission organization called Via (formerly Center for Mission Mobilization) where he is mobilizing churches and students towards Great Commission work among unreached people groups. Jill is a nurse manager at USMD Hospital here in Arlington. She has been a RN for over 25 years and loves caring for people. They have joined the ranks of grandparenthood in 2024 and are soaking up all the time they can with Charlotte Grace. Joel and Jill have been married for 26 years and have three grown children, Dara (and her husband Lukas), Dade (and his wife Abby), and Rachel (and her husband Isaac).
Joel is an ordained pastor and received his Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences in Speech Communication from Stephen F. Austin State University. He is currently serving as LBC’s Interim Transitional Care Pastor as we search for a new Lead Pastor. Joel and Jill also lead the FUEL class (College & Career) here at LBC and love pouring into college students.