Russell was called to the diaconate after being a member of the Heavenly Rest family for about 20 years. He trained at the diocesan School of Ministry from 2018-2021 and was ordained in June 2021. Russell grew up in an Episcopal church family in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and received his professional education and post-graduate residency training in neurology at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas after which he served as a clinical research associate at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He moved to Abilene in 1994. Here he has practiced neurology for 27 years and served and the Abilene medical community and both local hospitals as part of their medical staff and as a previous chair of the neurology and neurosurgery section at Hendrick Medical Center. He also contributes to the training of physician assistants as a clinical instructor in neurology. His wife Kathy and two children, Russell and Julia, have been members of Heavenly Rest and have served the church in a variety of capacities including service to the acolyte program. He loves outdoor sports including mountaineering and skiing. He enjoys mentoring youth and enjoys contributing to the growing youth programs at Heavenly Rest.