A Conversation with Joemel Delossantos

A church planting assessment tells a couple they have no business planting, and the punchline is they’re already doing it. That’s where JD sits down with Joemel Delossantos, a San Diego local raised in a small Filipino church, to trace the real path of ministry calling, early mistakes, and the kind of support that actually keeps leaders healthy.

The conversation turns toward church planting in National City: launching with a tiny team, almost no funding, and a rented space that felt like a miracle until reality set in. Jomel unpacks the disappointment of a Zoom-based church planter assessment, the role of mentors and networks like Excel Leadership Network, and the turning point that came through a church planter residency offer from Shelton Markham. The biggest takeaway is simple and costly: love people, people over programs, souls over systems, because pastors are shepherds first.

If you’re leading a church, planting one, or trying to rebuild after a setback, you’ll find language for what you’re carrying and practical clarity for what to do next. Subscribe, share this with a leader who needs encouragement, and leave a review with your biggest church planting lesson so far.

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