Holy Joys brings theology to bear on the beliefs and practices of local churches, especially in the Wesleyan tradition, so that they can be more holy and happy. We’re orthodox, Protestant, evangelical, and firmly rooted in the teachings of classic Christianity and early Methodism (see below).

Johnathan Arnold is a husband, father, and Senior Pastor in Central Pennsylvania. He came to faith while reading the Scriptures in public high school, began attending a local church, completed a Bible college program, then served as an assistant and associate pastor for seven years being becoming a senior minister. He is pursuing graduate studies and enjoys writing and podcasting. Johnathan founded holyjoys.org to explore important theological ideas in community with experienced theologians and practitioners, in service of local churches and pastors.

David Fry is married to Sarah (Wolf) and they have six children. He is the Senior Pastor of the Frankfort (IN) Bible Holiness Church, 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). Dr. Fry 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 enjoys reading, traveling with his family, and spending time outdoors.

Michael R. Avery presently serves as an itinerant evangelist speaking in churches, camp meetings, revivals, conventions, and conferences. He also serves as the General Connectional Chairman of the Bible Methodist Connection of Churches with whom he was ordained in 1981. He has served the church as a Pastor (10 years), Conference Vice-President (5 years), and Missions Director (5 years). He was President of God’s Bible School and College for 22 years and now serves as its Chancellor. He founded Deeper Life Ministries in 2017, a non-profit religions organization that is committed to the teaching and preaching of scriptural holiness. He assists churches and para-church organizations through consulting and Strategic Planning, and helps individual Christians through life coaching arrangements. He serves as Chairman of the Board for Shepherds Global Classroom and Holy Joys, and is a member of the Board of Kentucky Mountain Bible College. He holds degrees from God’s Bible School and College (BRE), Cincinnati Christian University (MA) and Wesley Biblical Seminary (DD) (honoris causa). He is the co-author of a book for youth, The Journey, and The Call: Essays for the Conservative Holiness Movement. He and his wife Ruth have two married sons and six grandchildren.

Travis Johnson has spent over 30 years in preaching ministry, starting when he was only 15 years old. He has pastored for over 25 years and serves presently as the Lead Pastor of the Findlay Bible Methodist Church in Findlay, OH. 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 in Cincinnati, OH and has done graduate work in theology from Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, MS. He has been married to his wife Jody for 28 years and is the father of three children: Shaylee, Alyssa, and Kendrick.

Marc Sankey was born to missionary parents in Honduras 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 GBS 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 God’s Bible College, and as a general evangelist. Melodie and he also partner with several mission agencies in various missionary endeavors, including as a missionary pastor and Shepherds Global Classroom representative. He is also Director of Oasis Ministries.

David C. Bubb has pastored for over 44 years. He is presently the Senior Pastor of Emmanuel Wesleyan Church in Gratz, PA.  He 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 two books: “Living Life At A Perfect Ten” and “Reaching Them.” He has been married for 45 years to his wife Merrilee and they have two married girls and seven grandchildren.

In addition to our Board of Directors, our Editorial Review Committee is given a chance to review every article before publication.

Orthodox

We are Bible-believing Christians who affirm orthodox Christian teaching and historic Christian ethics, including on matters of gender and sexuality. Our faith is summarized in the ecumenical Creeds: Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian.

Protestant

We are Protestant, not Roman Catholic, which means that we uphold the supreme authority of Scripture and the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone.

Evangelical

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.

Methodist

We are Methodists, which means that our roots run back to John Wesley and the Anglican Church with its 39 Articles of Religion, condensed by Wesley in the 25 Articles of Religion. 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.