Joan Adams
Joan grew up in a minister’s home in Forrest City, Arkansas, where she and her two younger sisters watched their parents daily model how to love God and love others. Through God’s grace and the influence of those Godly parents, Joan came to know the Lord at an early age. She met Keith, her future husband, on the playground in third grade. They attended Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri where Joan received a Bachelor of Science in Business Education / Office Administration. For the past 20 years, Joan has gained experience in the classroom as an instructor, in the church as a children’s minister and in the office as a manager. God is gracious in bringing together so many of the lessons learned through those individual experiences to be used in her current role at Fellowship Memphis.
After their marriage in 1988, Joan supported Keith as he ministered for thirteen years in churches in the southeast. On September 11, 2001 (yes, THE September 11) God moved the Adams family from Crestivew, Florida to a new adventure in Memphis as church planters. Interestingly enough, one of their first church planting interest meetings was held at the Ugly Mug where they spoke with Mark Ottinger about a church plant he was involved with called Fellowship Memphis.
From 2001 to 2006 Joan had a variety of work experiences ranging from homeschooling her daughters, to substitute teaching in Memphis City Schools to serving as a regional assistant for EMF Broadcasting. In 2006 God began to redirect the Adams family for different opportunities in Memphis, and that is when they began attending Fellowship Memphis.
It brings a lot of joy to Keith and Joan knowing that the body of Christ, called Fellowship Memphis, reinforces their desire for themselves and their two daughters Morgan (18) and Kaylee (14) to embrace and pursue the whole Gospel - both the vertical (loving God) and the horizontal (loving others). Joan looks with expectation on the future as God continues to move. This anticipation is best expressed in the verses claimed as a theme for their family’s journey….
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)