News Feed Joe Belzer isn’t your “average Joe.”
Belzer, a former Truman State University graduate, is one of the leaders of a new church called The Crossing. However, introducing a new church isn’t all that Belzer has to deal with. Once his work day ends, he goes home to his wife and their 11 children. It’s a life where balancing time is crucial.
“I’m pretty guarded as far as my time goes,” Belzer said. “If people want to meet, I try to meet with them during the day. I want to be headed home by 5 so my evenings are with my family. Friday is my day off and I really try to guard it also. I won’t put anything on there, even if there’s something that’s pressing.”
Before joining The Crossing, which started in Kirksville in November, Belzer worked with the Campus Christian Fellowship. He worked at the CCF for 24 years as the leader of the ministry. Belzer said moving to The Crossing has been an exciting change, and it has allowed him to reach out to the Kirksville community in different ways. He said he misses the CCF, but it had become kind of redundant over the two decades he spent there.
“With campus ministry, having done it for so many years, it was kind of already wrote,” Belzer said. “It became kind of a routine. Now, I’m working with families, working to reach people with addictions. We’re trying to think outside the box. Change affects us all in different ways. For me, I need more mental space to think things through.”
The Crossing is divided into “campuses”, with headquarters in Quincy, Ill. There are now four different campuses located in Kirksville, Quincy, Macomb, Ill. and Mossel Bay, South Africa. Every Sunday morning sermon in the four locations is broadcasted from Quincy. Belzer will start preaching at the Kirksville campus later in the year. The other campuses will continue to be led from the Quincy campus. Currently, Belzer serves as the campus pastor for The Crossing. With that job, he is deeply involved.
“I help shepherd the sheep so to speak,” Belzer said. “I oversee the staff, plan things out on our end, plan different services, and also coordinate the different outreaches. We’re going to launch small groups in a couple of weeks, and I’ve been trying to get small group leaders up to speed.”
Being in charge of developing and promoting a brand new church can be enough of a challenge. Still, Belzer doesn’t get much rest when he goes home. He and his wife Jennie welcomed a new baby born a month ago. Belzer said he has to make commitments when it comes to family time, such as keeping his schedule open for his family when he is not working. He also said his older children do a lot to help them.
“Some people may think [having 11 children] is overwhelming, but it seems like our older kids are a huge help,” Belzer said. “A lot of the interactions in our family is kind of them looking after each other and nurturing the others. It makes our job a little easier when they want to be a part of each other.”
Belzer’s children range from a month to 19 years old. He said having 11 children can be daunting at times, but he’s learned to keep time available just for them. He also said his kids help him tremendously. They really look after one another, and Belzer is thankful for their help and kindness towards one another. He said his kids argue just like other siblings, but they also show compassion to each other.
Belzer also said he puts off time for him and his wife to spend together. He said it may only be an hour to talk about their days, but those times are much needed to keep each other updated.
Joe’s oldest son, Josiah, is a freshman at Truman. He lives on the Truman campus, but he still tries to help Joe and Jennie out whenever he can. Josiah said he tries to visit the family at least once a week to offer his help. He said being the oldest brings a little bit more responsibility.
“I guess I’m used to [having 10 siblings], so it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal,” Josiah Belzer said. “There’s always something happening at my house. I kind of just help out whenever they need me. Sometimes I transport people, pick up groceries, that type of stuff.”
Reed Dent is currently on staff with the CCF. Dent attended Truman and was a part of the CCF during his time as a student. He said Belzer really helped him care for and pray for other people because that was a huge part of Belzer’s life. He said Joe will be a great leader for The Crossing and its growing population.
“It’s evident to me that The Crossing is the right place for Joe to be,” Dent said. “He served at the CCF for 24 years and loved college students and was amazingly caring and responsible for them. Now, he’s been given something bigger, but it’s perfect for God to use Joe to minister to the community at large. I’m excited to see where [The Crossing] is in 24 years.”
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