Founders of Glow Church, Joel & Ellen Cave — Pray for Separation, Healing & Salvation

Prayer Focus — Immediate Needs

• Emotional & spiritual healing for Joel, Ellen and their children.
• Wisdom, protection, and unity for Glow Church leadership and congregation during this season of transition.
• Salvation and repentance for any heart in need of Christ.
• Clarity, truth, and justice where confusion or harm exists.

Recent Announcement — What Happened

Glow Church senior pastors and founders, Joel and Ellen Cave, have publicly stepped back from ministry responsibilities and the couple are now living separately after more than 24 years of marriage. The church board announced this step was taken to prioritise their health, healing and the wellbeing of the family and congregation. The board also stated the separation was requested by Ellen and clarified that it was not the result of moral failure or infidelity. The board has asked the community for prayer, understanding and respect for the Cave family's privacy as Joel is currently in a period of medical and pastoral recovery.

About Joel & Ellen Cave — Background & Ministry

Joel Cave — Joel emerged as a leader and church planter with a gift for contemporary, relational, and missional ministry. He is known for work in discipling young adults, pioneering multi-site growth and creative use of technology in worship. Joel trained academically and has a background in leadership and teaching, and has been a public speaker and strategist in the Australian Christian Church movement. Joel and Ellen cofounded Glow Church in Robina (Gold Coast) in 2013 and helped the congregation grow into a multi-site church presence across Australia and internationally.

Ellen Cave — Ellen has been a ministry partner, leader and pastoral presence alongside Joel for more than two decades. Known for pastoral care, ministry to families, and leading women’s initiatives, Ellen has played a central role in pastoral counselling, youth and family engagement, and shaping the church’s community culture.

The Family — Joel and Ellen were married for more than 24 years and are parents to their children. The board has asked that the family be protected by prayer and pastoral care as they walk through this season of separation and recovery.

Timeline — Key Dates & Developments (Concise)

1. 2000 — Joel and Ellen married (more than 24 years together as of 2025).
2. 2013 — Joel & Ellen founded Glow Church in Robina (Gold Coast), which later expanded to other locations and influenced several church plants and campuses.
3. 2013–2024 — Growth into a multisite church known for young-adult ministry, contemporary worship and regional campuses (Australia & the UK among others).
4. Late Oct 2025 — Church board announces Joel & Ellen have stepped back from ministry responsibilities; the board describes a requested separation and notes Joel is in medical/pastoral recovery. The board requests privacy and prayer and emphasizes this is not due to moral failure or infidelity.

Why We Are Praying — Clear, Specific Reasons

1) For Healing (Physical, Emotional, Spiritual). The board described Joel as being in medical and pastoral recovery. When a pastor’s health is compromised, the whole congregation is affected. We pray that God’s healing hand restores bodily strength, renews the mind, and brings peace.

2) For Marital Restoration & Family Protection. Separation produces deep wounds for spouses and children. Scripture calls us to pray for families (Psalms 68:6; Ephesians 5–6). We ask God to protect the children, to grant comfort, and — if it is God’s will — to bring reconciliation. Where reconciliation isn’t immediate, we pray for grace, wisdom and healthy boundaries.

3) For the Pastoral Team & Church Leadership. Leadership transitions can create uncertainty. Pray for the board, elders, and interim leaders to have wisdom and unity as they shepherd the church and make sensitive decisions. Ask the Lord to keep the church body united in truth and love.

4) For Spiritual Clarity & Truth. The board pointed to “very recent information” as part of the decision to have Joel and Ellen step back. We ask for God’s truth to surface gently and for any confusion to be replaced with humility, transparency, and justice. Pray that the church’s handling of the matter would reflect Christlike integrity.

5) For Salvation & Spiritual Renewal. Above all, we pray for souls. Pray that Joel, Ellen, their family, church leaders and all affected will encounter Jesus Christ in a fresh way — to be renewed, repent, restored, and saved by grace. Pray that this season becomes a turning point for deeper dependence on Christ across the entire community.

6) For the Wider Impact & Reconciliation in the Denomination. Glow Church is part of a larger denominational family and has relationships with other churches. Pray for unity among those networks, for wise counsel, and for reconciliation where harm occurred.

How You Can Join in Prayer & Support

• Respect the family’s request for privacy while praying for them daily.
• Contact the church office to ask how to help practically (childcare, meals, counselling resources) — allow the church to direct help.
• Pray for ministers and church staff who are carrying extra responsibility during their leaders’ absence.