ABOUT US

Pastor Joey is originally from New Jersey. Growing up, Joey spent the majority of his time playing sports and performing in music. Between the age of 5-15, he spent a large majority of his hours on the basketball court, football field, gym, or training in the martial arts. Moreover, he later attended Pillar College in the city of Newark, NJ, where he graduated with a degree in Psychology and Counseling. During his time in undergrad, he worked in the social work field. Joey took on a variety of jobs ranging from work in group homes, security work, halfway homes, juvenile detention, and drug rehabilitation centers, working alongside of at risk youth, developmentally disabled population, and adult offenders in hopes to build his resume for a pursued career in psychology.

However, God had other plans for his life and called him to leave behind his pursuit of psychology and counseling to follow him in a life of full time vocational ministry. As a result, he spent two full years working for a youth missional organization known as Young Life as a local youth missionary in the city of Salem, NJ. Following Young Life, he went on staff at a local church by the name of Sharptown UMC in a small town known as Pilesgrove NJ. It was at Sharptown where Pastor Joey’s full time call to pastoral ministry was affirmed. Pastor Joey served at Sharptown as an Assistant Pastor for one full year before transitioning into seminary full time where he met his wonderful wife, Grace Hambrick, who also has served in ministry as a church planter for eight years. Pastor Joey would describe his wife, Grace as his best friend and the love of his life. She is the best thing that has happened to Pastor Joey after Jesus. Grace has played an instrumental role in helping Pastor Joey serve the New Zion community in front and behind the scenes. They love to spend their free time traveling, reading, learning, building things together, decorating, cooking, baking, exercising, and spending time with friends and family.

Pastor Joey describes walking away from the field of psychology and counseling to follow God’s calling on his life to full time vocational ministry to become the best thing that could have ever happened to him. His heartbeat in ministry after Jesus is people. As a result, what he is most excited about is the journey of walking alongside of people. In the words of Joey, “After all that’s done, if what is accomplished hasn’t been established in love, then it all amounts to nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). The love that I convey is not one that can be conjured up in my own strength. Rather, it’s poured out in a deep abiding pursuit of God and service to others with the empowerment of his hand. May the rest of my life be laid down for the full pursuit of love…”

Grace Hambrick is Pastor Joey’s wife, a life long learner, Bible nerd, music enthusiast, and enjoys a good Hallmark movie. She also loves to dive deep in relationship and conversations about Jesus with people over coffee. She delights in listening to people’s passions and visions for life and seeing them come to pass. She was a minister for 8 years with an organization called Every Nation, getting to be a part of planting two churches and establishing ministries on 8 college campuses. She passionate about walking with people as we all learn more about God together and experience His transformative power at work. 

She is originally from a suburb of Atlanta, GA, and grew up doing anything active, reading, and having fun in imaginative worlds her mind would dream up. She eventually found volleyball and forwent all other activities. She went to college on a volleyball scholarship where she found Jesus and helped found and lead an athletic ministry on her campus. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Mathematics Education and moved to Oxford, OH, to pursue college volleyball coaching and a Masters of Education in Transformative Education, where she continued to lead with the athletic ministry on campus. She enjoyed her time working in education and coaching volleyball but developed a longing to spend more time in ministry. When she graduated, she went on staff with Every Nation and over the next eight years had the honor of serving in many capacities of leadership with a church plants in Cincinnati, OH, and Lexington, KY. It was once she moved and was working on another masters at Asbury Theological Seminary that she met her wonderful husband, Joey. He is her best friend, and she loves getting to partner with him in this ministry. She is continuing to work on finishing a Masters of Arts in Theology.

She loves being active, doing any project that is creative, and growing in relationship with those in her community. She is excited for this new adventure of life here in the New Zion community.

Joseph Henderson had served as New Zion’s Lay Servant since 2018.  He is a Georgetown, KY native. His parents raised him to be involved in church from a young age and to always learn. Everyday is a learning experience. Never stop learning either mentally or spiritually.

Joseph received his BME in Music Education from Eastern Kentucky University in 1996. Has been involved in 4-H as a Camp Councilor since 1991.  Joseph currently serves as Chairperson of The Kentucky State University Wesley Foundation Board, is on The District Committee on Ordained Ministries (DCOM), and is also on The Leadership Academy for Church Excellence (LACE) where he received his Lay Speaker Certification in 2023. 

Joseph is involved in teaching Sunday School, teaching Bible Study, and singing in the choir.

You can contact him at his church email: JLHENDE.NZUMC@OUTLOOK.COM