The Rev. Joe Billings
Florence County Sheriff’s Office
843-687-6171
Deacon Joel Billings graduated from Chapman University in Orange, CA, in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He worked several years for the State of California as an investigator, before moving to South Carolina in 2000 with his wife, Lindsey, and their three children. In 2002, Joel graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy and served briefly as a police officer before working in the private sector for several years. He remained in law enforcement on a volunteer basis, as a Reserve Deputy with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office for nine years. In 2011, Joel sensed a call to the full-time ministry of Christian mission with an international agency, Operation Mobilization. He and Lindsey subsequently joined Operation Mobilization, where Joel served full-time with the OM Ships ministry field in Florence, SC. Following the Florence shooting tragedy of October 3rd, 2018, involving seven Florence County law enforcement officers, Joel discerned a renewed focus of ministry on law enforcement. Consequently, Joel pursued the Vocational Diaconate ministry, and was soon hired by the Florence County Sheriff’s Office as a sworn deputy to serve as staff chaplain in 2019. Joel was ordained by Bishop “Chip” Edgar III to the Order of Deacons, on January 27th, 2024. Joel is a member of St. John’s Church parish in Florence, and is currently employed with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office as the full-time Chaplain/Deputy. He has been married to his wife, Lindsey, for over 30 years, and they have been blessed with three sons, Trenton (Cecelia), Grant (Anna) and Blaine (Mariana). Trenton and Cecelia are expecting their first child in May. Joel has been a past member of the parish choir and lay reader for Sunday services. His ministry in and outside the church has included: vacation Bible school leader, assisting youth ministry, group Bible study leader, Young Life of Florence committee member and chairman, and serving full-time for seven years with an international mission’s agency, Operation Mobilization.