Joe was born in Russia, but in 1990 his family immigrated to the U.S. and joined Grace Community Church soon after. In his pursuit of education, Joe earned a B.A. in English and Russian literature, an M.Div. in Bible, a Th.M. in Old Testament, and a Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible. In 2016, Joe became an associate professor of Old Testament at The Master’s Seminary, teaching Hebrew and Aramaic as well as exegesis courses, such as “The Messiah in the Old Testament.” At Grace Church, he serves in Foundation Bible study on Fridays and in the Sojourners fellowship group on Sunday mornings.