Australian Megachurch Founders Step Down After Wife Requests Separation
Gold Coast, Australia — Joel and Ellen Cave, founding pastors of Glow Church in Gold Coast, Australia, have separated after more than 24 years of marriage and stepped down from all ministry responsibilities, the church announced on October 26, 2025.
In a statement from Glow Church Chairman Dave Weatherall, the board revealed that Ellen Cave initiated the separation following "a period of personal challenges." The statement emphasized that the decision was "not a result of moral failure or infidelity."
"Due to some very recent information that has been submitted, the Board has made the decision for our Senior Pastors to step back from all ministry responsibilities," Weatherall said. "This follows a period of personal challenges that have led to, as it currently stands, a period of separation as requested by Ellen. This is not a result of moral failure or infidelity."
The board stated the decision was made "with careful consideration and prayer, prioritizing our Senior Pastors wellbeing and the health of the church community." The statement noted that Joel Cave is in "a period of medical and pastoral recovery."
Joel and Ellen Cave founded Glow Church on January 13, 2013, starting with a small group on a Gold Coast balcony. The church grew into a multisite megachurch known for its large young-adult membership and contemporary, technology-focused worship services.
"It is the style of music we have, the use of technology, we have a lot of cutting edge screens lighting and sound," Joel Cave told the Gold Coast Bulletin in 2018. "Most people spend all day looking at screens and we use them because it helps people connect with our messages."
The church expanded to multiple locations across Australia, including three locations in Sydney launched in 2018, Melbourne in 2020, and international locations in Durham, United Kingdom in 2021 and Seoul, South Korea. In 2024, all Australian locations outside the Gold Coast were released to become autonomous churches. The church reported a net deficit of more than $1.7 million last year as a result of these departures and realignment.
Glow Church is part of the Australian Christian Churches movement, formerly known as Assemblies of God in Australia, and is connected to the Association of Related Churches (ARC) network.
Joel Cave was a former Kings Christian College teacher before starting the church. The couple has three children. According to Glow's website, Joel and Ellen are described as "great role models to other couples, parents, and young people" whose "lives inspire others to lift the ceiling of what's possible with faith while also being very authentic and genuine in all areas of life."
The family will remain part of the church but will not be involved in ministry. Pastor Moni Alaga, one of Glow's other pastors, will lead the congregation moving forward.
"We ask for prayer, understanding, and respect for the privacy of Joel, Ellen, the children and the Cave Family," the board statement said. "Let us remember that the same grace and hope we preach is the grace that sustains and restores us all."
THE CRUSADER'S OPINION
Here's what happens when you build a church on screens and lights instead of Scripture and sacrifice.
Twenty-four years of marriage. Three kids. A megachurch empire. And it all crumbles because the wife "requested" a separation. Not adultery. Not abuse. Just personal challenges. And suddenly the entire ministry is gone. This isn't a testimony. It's a tragedy.
The board says Joel needs "medical and pastoral recovery." Recovery from what? The statement is vague, carefully worded, sanitized for public consumption. But here's what we know: when a pastor's marriage falls apart without moral failure, something was already broken long before the announcement.
Joel Cave bragged about screens and technology helping people "connect with our messages." Maybe that's the problem. Churches aren't entertainment venues. Marriage isn't a brand. Ministry isn't measured by how many campuses you launch or how cutting-edge your lighting is. It's measured by faithfulness to Christ, to your spouse, to your calling.
The Cave family will "remain part of the church." That's admirable. But let's be honest about what just happened. A couple held up as "great role models" just modeled that when marriage gets hard, you can separate and step away. That's not the Gospel. That's capitulation.
This should terrify every pastor chasing growth metrics and multisite expansion. You can build an empire and lose your family. You can pack auditoriums and lose your marriage. You can have every technological advantage and still fail at the basics: loving your wife as Christ loved the Church.
Pray for restoration. But also learn the lesson: flashy doesn't mean faithful.
TAKE ACTION
Support Biblical Marriage and Pastoral Accountability:
- Focus on the Family
Website: https://www.focusonthefamily.com
Phone: 1-800-232-6459
(Marriage resources and counseling for Christian couples) - Australian Christian Churches (ACC)
Website: https://www.acc.org.au
(Pray for pastoral accountability and marriage restoration in Australian churches) - Your Pastor's Marriage
Ask your church leadership: How are we protecting our pastor's marriage? Support pastoral sabbaticals and marriage counseling. - Marriage Defense Organizations
Support ministries defending biblical marriage and providing resources for struggling Christian couples.
