Pastor Kent is a graduate of the University of Toledo and holds a Masters degree from the Methodist Theological School of Ohio, where he attended seminary. He and his wife Julie are the parents of three adult children.

Pastor Kent came to First Church on the Square in Mansfield on January 1, 2011 after serving United Methodist Churches in Amherst, Massillon, and Birmingham / Berlin Heights, Ohio.  Prior to entering the ministry in 1996, Rev. Joy spent 20 years in the property maintenance and marketing realms of the recreational boating industry.

In their spare time Pastor Kent and Julie enjoy cooking, motorcyle touring, and bicycling.