Examine individual changes

'{{Primary sources|date=March 2008}} '''Joel Carl Hunter''' (born April 18, 1948 in [[Shelby, Ohio]]), is the senior pastor of Northland, A Church Distributed, a congregation of 15,000 that worships at four sites in Central Florida and at more than 1,000 sites worldwide via interactive webcast, iPhone, and Facebook. He is the author of ''A New Kind of Conservative'' (Regal 2008), ''Church Distributed'' (Distributed Press 2008) and ''Inner State 80: Your Journey on the High Way'' (Higher Life 2009). Hunter accepted the presidency of the [[Christian Coalition of America|Christian Coalition]] in 2006, and then resigned before formally acting in that role because the CC board felt that a broadening of agenda to include topics like poverty, justice and other compassion issues would alienate its base.<ref name=frankie>Fitzgerald, Francis (30 June 2008), "The New Evangelicals," The New Yorker</ref> He delivered the closing benediction on the final day of the [[2008 Democratic National Convention]],<ref name=time>Van Biema, David (6 November 2008), "Who Is Joel Hunter, and Why Is Obama Praying with Him?," Time</ref> prayed with Senator Obama on the day of the 2008 presidential election<ref name=time/> and offered a blessing for President-elect Obama at the Pre-Inaugural Worship Service at St. John's Church on January 22, 2009.<ref name=post>Branigin, William (20 January 2009), "Obama Sworn in as 44th President of U.S.," The Washington Post</ref> On February 5, 2009, he was appointed to the [[President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships]].<ref name=council>The White House: Office of the Press Secretary (5 February 2009). "Obama Announces White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships." Press release. Retrieved 25 October 2009.</ref> In April 2011, he was named a member of the [[Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability#Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations|Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations]].<ref>[http://www.ecfa.org/Content/Members-Named-to-Commission-on-Accountability-and-Policy-for-Religious-Organizations Members Named to Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations]</ref> ==Biography== Hunter was born April 18, 1948 in [[Shelby, Ohio]]. His parents were Wilbur Hunter, a decorated [[World War II]] [[veteran]], and Jean Hunter, a homemaker. When his father died in 1952, he spent much of his time with his maternal grandparents, Lena and Carl Bashore. He graduated from [[Shelby High School (Ohio)|Shelby High School]] in 1966 the president of his class and captain of the football team. He then attended [[Ohio University]]. While there, he became involved in the [[civil rights movement]] In April 1968, after the assassination of [[Martin Luther King]], he had a crisis of faith and felt called into ministry.<ref>Hunter, Joel (2008), A New Kind of Conservative, Ventura: Regal. p. 17, ISBN 978-0-8307-4533-3</ref> He graduated from Ohio University with a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in education. He then attended [[Christian Theological Seminary]] in [[Indianapolis, Indiana]] in 1970, and received his [[Master of Divinity]] in 1973. After starting towards his [[Doctor of Ministry]] degree, he took his first church appointment as a youth minister at Bradley [[United Methodist Church]] in [[Greenfield, Indiana]]. There he met his wife, Becky. He stayed at Bradley for one year, and then became a minister at Southport United Methodist and remained there until obtaining his Doctor of Ministry degree in 1974. His thesis, in the field of culture and personality, was about equipping people for ministry. After graduation he baecame pastor at Mount Auburn United Methodist Church in Greenwood. Joel and Becky are the parents of married sons, Joshua ('75), Isaac ('77) and Joel D. ('81) and are grandparents to six grandchildren. Joshua is CEO of Hunter Vision a 3D LASIK Center founded in 2010. Joel is ophthalmic surgeon at Hunter Vision. Isaac founded Summit Church in 2001 in Orlando and serves as its senior pastor. ==Northland Church== In 1985, he moved to Northland Community Church in [[Orlando, Florida]], that was looking for a senior pastor. He flew to Orlando to interview at Northland.<ref>Hunter, Joel (2007), Church Distributed, Longwood: Distributed Church Publishers, p. 27, ISBN 978-1-60402-615-3</ref> Northland Community Church had been started in 1972 by 11 people in the "north land" of Orlando.<ref name=history>[http://www.northlandchurch.net/history/ Northland History], retrieved 30 October 2009</ref> By 1985, the church had a weekly attendance of 200 people. Over the next two decades the church grew to an average weekly attendance of more than 10,000 people. Eventually transformed from a “community church” into to a “church distributed”,<ref name=history/> Northland has been consistently named among ''Outreach'' magazine's 100 Largest and Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches.<ref name=outreach>[http://67.222.10.11/OutreachMagazine/index.php?news=3158 Outreach 100 Tracks Top U.S. Churches], retrieved 30 October 2009</ref> ''Ministry Today'' magazine listed Northland's facilities as one of "The Seven Most Innovative Church Buildings in America."<ref name=mt>[http://ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/ministry-facilities/construction/16788-building-for-tomorrow Building for Tomorrow], retrieved 30 October 2009</ref> ==The Distributed Church== The increasing numbers of worshipers after September 11, 2001, that forced Northland to create its first fully interactive multisite location at a nearby High School . Through fiber-optic cable, Northland was able to have a worship service at both locations. Duets were sung between singers half a mile apart, and [[Scripture]] read by either congregation was able to be heard in [[real time (media)|real time]] at both sites. Northland replicated the multisite worship service in several different locations, and now holds concurrent worship services with more than a thousand congregants in [[Mount Dora, Florida|Mount Dora]], West Oaks, and [[Oviedo, Florida|Oviedo]], Florida. The same technology has allowed the church to hold concurrent interactive services with partner churches in [[Windhoek]], [[Namibia]]; [[Kiev]], [[Ukraine]]; and [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]]. To more fully realize the potential of a truly distributed church, Northland opened a new facility in August 2007. The $43 million, 3,100-seat building features technology that enables it to be a hub capable of transmitting enormous amounts of data each weekend to sites around the world. Today, a growing segment of Northland’s congregation has never set foot inside the church building. Approximately 2,000 people worldwide now participate in Northland’s worship services online via InSite, an interactive online church application. Online worshipers participate in services via live webcast and have many ways to interact with the church and with one another, including instant online access to a pastor and the ability to chat with other worshipers. In 2009 this live worship tool also became accessible via iPhone and 2010 Northland worship services went live on Facebook. ==Creation Care== Hunter was asked in February 2006 to sign the [[Evangelical Climate Initiative]], a document recognizing [[global warming]] based on the findings of the [[Nobel Prize]]-winning [[Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]] (IPCC). Fellow signatories included [[Rick Warren]], the presidents of 39 Christian colleges, and the president of the [[Salvation Army]]. In the spring of 2006, he was asked to host a TV advertisement by the group .<ref>TV Spot: Evangelicals and Global Warming</ref> In the summer of 2006 and 2008, Hunter was invited to [[symposium]]s on [[creation care]] at [[Windsor Castle]] where he heard from, among others: theologian [[N. T. Wright]]; former chairman of the IPCC, [[Sir John Houghton]]; and [[Prince Charles]]. He has since been named by [http://www.grist.org/ ''Grist''] magazine as one of the top 15 religious leaders in creation care, along with [[Pope Benedict XVI]] and the [[Dalai Lama]].<ref>[http://www.grist.org/article/religious 15 Green Religious Leaders]</ref> ==Hunter and the Christian Coalition== Hunter was asked in July 2006 to become the next president of the Christian Coalition. The group was started in 1988 by Pat Robertson and grew in influence throughout the early 1990s to a base of 1.2 million members and a revenue of $26.5 million in 1996. Hunter accepted the position of president-elect of the organization. Before assuming the presidency in January 2007, he declined the post, saying the group resisted his efforts to broaden its agenda beyond [[gay marriage]] and [[abortion]] into creation care and the alleviation of [[poverty]]. ==The Democratic National Convention and President Obama== Hunter provided the closing benediction to the Democratic National Convention in 2008. <ref>[http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctpolitics/2008/08/joel_hunters_be.html Christianity Today: Joel Hunter's Benediction]</ref> On January 20, 2009, Hunter offered a blessing over President-Elect Obama during an intimate, pre-inauguration service held at [[St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square (Washington, D.C.)|St. John's Episcopal Church]], located on [[Lafayette Square Historic District (Washington, D.C.)|Lafayette Square]] across from the [[White House]]. The service is a tradition for those about to become President. At the service at St. John’s, Hunter prayed the following blessing over the nation’s 44th President. <ref name=post/> <ref>Northland Church (22 January 2009). "Florida Pastor Offers Blessing at Inauguration-Day Church Service Attended by President Barack Obama." Press release. Retrieved 30 October 2009.</ref> ==President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships== Dr. Hunter served in the inaugural year on the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which advises President Barack Obama on substantive policy issues, including interfaith relations, strengthening the role of fathers in society and reducing the number of abortions. He continues as a spiritual advisor to the President.<ref name=council/> The advisory council was introduced February 5, 2009, to coincide with the National Prayer Breakfast and the appointment of Pastor Joshua DuBois as head of the council. ==Public service positions== * Florida's Faith-Based and Community-Based Advisory Council (2008–2012) * White House Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships (2009–2010) * [http://www.ecfa.org/Content/Commission-on-Accountability-and-Policy-for-Religious-Organizations Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations] (2011- ) ===Advisory Boards=== * Belhaven College * [http://www.biologos.org/ The BioLogos Foundation] * [http://www.cehn.org/ Children's Environmental Health Network] * [http://www.christianhelp.org/ Christian Help] * Florida’s Faith-based and Community-based Advisory Council * The John C. Danforth Center on Religion & Politics * [http://www.maninthemirror.org/ Man in the Mirror Ministries] * National Latino Evangelical Coalition * [http://uscenterforcitizendiplomacy.org/ U.S. Center for Citizens Diplomacy] * Vernon C Grounds Institute of Public Ethics (Denver Seminary) * [http://www.visionorlando.org/ Vision Orlando] ===Boards of Directors=== * [[World Evangelical Alliance]] * [[National Association of Evangelicals]] * Global Pastors’ Network * [http://cfhomelesscommission.org/ Central Florida Commission on Homelessness] * Christian Peacemaking Resources, Inc. * [http://www.firstgreenbank.com/ First Green Bank of Florida] (since 2008) ==Academic degrees== * Bachelor of Science in History, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, 1970 * Master of Divinity, Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1973 * Doctor of Ministry, Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1974 * Doctor of Humanities, Belhaven University, Jackson, Mississippi, 2006 * Doctor of Divinity, Nyack College and Alliance Theological Seminary, Nyack, New York, 2011 ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *http://www.pastorjoelhunter.com {{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> | NAME = Hunter, Joel | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = April 18, 1948 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Hunter, Joel}} [[Category:1948 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American Christian religious leaders]] [[Category:People from Richland County, Ohio]]'