Who We Are
Holy Joys is a group of conservative Wesleyan pastor-theologians and church leaders who are working to equip local churches with theologically informed resources that help them to be more holy, happy, and healthy. Through articles, podcasts, sermons, books, reading groups, online courses, teaching resources, and in-person conferences, we draw on the riches of Scripture, historic Christianity, and classical Methodism to meet the needs of the contemporary church.
We draw on the riches of Scripture, historic Christianity, and classical Methodism to meet the needs of the contemporary church.
What We Believe
Holy Joys is orthodox, Protestant, evangelical, and Methodist (in that order). First and foremost, we are orthodox, which means that we are Bible-believing Christians who affirm historic Christian teaching and ethics, including on matters of gender and sexuality. Ours is “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3), summarized in the three Creeds: Apostles‘, Nicene, and Athanasian.
We are Protestant, which means that we uphold the supreme authority of Scripture (sola scriptura) and the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone (sola fide) in Christ alone to the glory of God alone.
We are evangelical, which means that we emphasize the necessity of being born again, having a personal relationship with God, and putting our faith into practice through good works and holy living.
We are Methodists, which means that our roots run back to John Wesley and the Anglican Church with its 39 Articles of Religion, abridged by Wesley in the 25 Articles of Religion. In his pamphlet “The Character of a Methodist,” Wesley wrote,
A Methodist is one who has the love of God shed abroad in his heart, by the Holy Spirit given unto him: one who loves the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind, and with all his strength. God is the joy of his heart, and the desire of his soul; which is constantly crying out, “Whom have I in heaven but you, and there is none upon earth that I desire beside you! My God and my all! You are the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever!”
While Methodists seek to be “mere Christians,” simply following the method laid out in Scripture for pursuing God and holiness, the great Methodist theologian William Burt Pope identified several distinctive emphases of Methodist doctrine, including:
- the love of God;
- the reconciliation of the whole world to God through the substitutionary atonement of Christ;
- the pouring out of God’s grace upon the entire human race through the Holy Spirit;
- the possibility of all being saved (contra Calvinism);
- the personal witness of the Holy Spirit in the heart of believers;
- the importance of the sacraments as instruments by which God administers his grace;
- the need for believers to persevere in faith and holiness;
- and the entireness of Christian sanctification as the most glorious privilege of the life of faith upon earth.
A simplified summary of Methodist theology was popularized by W. B. Fitzgerald in the four “alls” of Methodism:
- All people need to be saved;
- All people can be saved;
- All people can know that they are saved;
- All people can be saved to the uttermost.
Our Board of Directors
Johnathan Arnold (President) is Senior Pastor of Redeemer Wesleyan Church, global trainer with Shepherds Global Classroom, and founder of holyjoys.org. He is the author of The Kids’ Catechism and The Whole Counsel of God: A Protestant Catechism and Discipleship Handbook (forthcoming). Johnathan has also been published in Firebrand Magazine, the Arminian Magazine, God’s Revivalist, and the Bible Methodist Magazine. He and his wife Lexi have three children—Adam, Theodore, and Lorelai.
David Fry (Chairman & Secretary) is the Senior Pastor of the Frankfort Bible Holiness Church (Frankfort, IN), Administrator of Frankfort Christian Academy, and the Executive Director of ONE80 Recovery Resources. He is an ordained elder in the Bible Methodist Connection of Churches. He holds degrees from God’s Bible School and College (B.A.), Wesley Biblical Seminary (M.Div), and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (PhD). David is also an alumnus of Beeson Divinity School. He is an adjunct professor at God’s Bible School and College where he teaches Wesleyan-Arminian Theology, Ecclesiology, and Political Theology. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society. David is married to Sarah (Wolf) and they have six children. David enjoys reading, traveling with his family, and spending time outdoors.
Travis Johnson (Director) is the Lead Pastor of the Findlay Bible Methodist Church (Findlay, OH). He has pastored for over 25 years and preached for over 30 years, starting when he was only 15 years old. He is an ordained elder in the Heartland Conference of the Bible Methodist Connection of Churches. He also serves as the Spiritual Life Director for Youth Challenge. He has a BA in Bible and Theology from God’s Bible School (Cincinnati, OH), and has done graduate work in theology from Wesley Biblical Seminary (Jackson, MS). He has been married to Jody for over 28 years and is the father of three children: Shaylee, Alyssa, and Kendrick.
Marc Sankey (Director) is a general evangelist. He was born to missionary parents in Honduras in 1970 and was raised in Bedford, IN until he entered God’s Bible School and College as a student in 1988. He earned a Bachelor’s in Religious Education from GBSC in 1994. In June of 1992, he married Melodie Miller in Barberton, Ohio, and began pastoring in Franklin, Ohio at the Bible Methodist Church where he served for 13 years. While serving there, Marc and Melodie were blessed with three children: Jordan, Cameron, and Logan. After pastoring, they followed God’s call to Mexico and served there for 6 years. Since returning from the mission field, Marc has served as Vice President of Evangelistic Faith Missions, Vice President for Constituent Relations at GBSC, and as a general evangelist. He and Melodie also partner with several mission agencies in various missionary endeavors, including as a missionary pastor and Shepherds Global Classroom representative. He is also the Director of Oasis Ministries.
David C. Bubb is a retired pastor of over 44 years. David served as the Department Chair of the Ministerial Department of Hobe Sound Bible College for four years. He is a Certified Church Consultant. He holds degrees from Hobe Sound Bible College (BA), Bethany Bible College and Seminary (M.M.), and Masters International School of Divinity (DBS). He is the author of Living Life At A Perfect Ten and Reaching Them. He has been married for over 45 years to his wife Merrilee and they have two married girls and seven grandchildren.
Other Team Members
Eric Going (Content Manager) is Senior Pastor of Gratz Emmanuel Wesleyan Church.
Philip Brown (Theological Editor) is Director of Graduate Studies and Professor of Bible & Theology at God’s Bible School & College. He has published several works, including A Reader’s Hebrew Bible (Zondervan) and Hope Amidst Ruin: A Literary and Theological Analysis of Ezra.
Andrew Graham is Associate Professor of Counselor Education at Asbury Theological Seminary. He is a licensed mental health counselor, licensed marriage & family therapist, nationally certified counselor, and board-certified professional Christian counselor providing professional counseling and consulting from a Christian perspective.