Jerald Russell
Ministry description:
Dr. Jerald W. Russell is presently serving as Pastor of Fairview United Methodist Church, Maryville, TN. Fairview is one of the fastest growing churches in the Holston conferences. Fairview UMC has experienced growth in the area of worship attendance. Upon arrival, the congregation was in the 200 range in worship and is over 900 currently. This growth has lead to the purchase of land and construction of a totally new facility, designed to accommodate the growth and the advent of new ministries. Fairview helped plant a new church, Sycamore Tree UMC, and is committed to reproducing itself.
Dr. Russell is a 1970 graduate of Emory & Henry College, Emory, VA, with a B.A. in History, Geography and Physical Education. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in 1973, a Master of Science, with an emphasis in Physical Education, from the University of Tennessee, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the University of Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN.
Dr. Russell entered the ministry after completion of Seminary in 1973, serving as the Associate Pastor of Second Methodist Church in Knoxville. In the fall of 1974, under the Board of Global Ministries, he and his wife, Judy, were assigned as missionaries to work in Montero, Bolivia. Their first permanent service was as Pastor/Teacher/Coach in the Methodist High School in Montero, where they spent their first term of service.
Following that first term, there was a study leave from 1978 to 1979, and during this time, Dr. Russell served at Fairview United Methodist Church, Knoxville, while pursuing his graduate studies. Upon completion of Graduate School in January 1980, the Russells returned to South America and assumed the responsibilities of pastoring the English speaking churches, 1st Methodist and United Community Church in Buenos Aires, Argentina, under the auspices of the Argentine Methodist Church.
Dr. Russell has worked extensively with Spanish and English speaking people in Bolivia and Argentina, and with persons who are part of foreign communities living in Latin American enviroments. In Argentina, Dr. Russell was part of a team ministry, sharing responsibility for outreach in the business district of Buenos Aires, where he started the work with Rev. Aldoeyrogyen (Argentina) and Rev. Park (Korea).
Dr. Russell maintained a vivid interest in athletics, serving as coach before entering the professional ministry and continues to be enthusiastic about the physical, as well as the spiritual well being of those people whom he serves, especially working with youth and college age. Now, even while serving a church, Dr. Russell assists college athletic teams and coaches Upward Basketball with elementary school boys.
Dr. Russell has served on several study committees of the Board of Global Ministries in the area of Evangelism and served in 1982-83 as President of the Carribean/South American Union Church Association. He has served as Secretary for the Legislative Committee of Board of Global Ministries during 2000 General Conference.
Dr. Russell has had extensive work in the local church, in terms of preaching and sharing about the task of winning people to Christ, and in Missions reaching out and serving our neighbors in our community and in distant lands and places. He and his wife, Judy, have two daughters, Jennifer Beth and Jessica Ann, two sons, Jeremy Wayne and Jose A. and two grandsons, Matthew and Benjamin.
The Russells came to Fairview United Methodist Church, Maryville, in January of 1991 from Hiwassee College where Dr. Russell served for seven and one-half years as Chaplain, Director of the Religious Life Program and Pastor of the campus church, Buckner Memorial United Methodist. During that time Hiwassee College experienced phenomenal growth in its Religious Life Program for students.
Dr. Russell developed, at Hiwassee College, a program of International Christian Scholarships. While at Hiwassee College and presently, Dr. Russell continues to be involved in missions programs, leading Volunteer In Missions groups to Latin America, working closely with the Methodist Church in Latin America, and doing pastor's retreats and special programs.
Dr. Russell works at the Conference level in the area of Missions and serves on various mission committees. He works with World Evangelism of the World Methodist Council and continues to have a passion for missions in connecting local churches with mission churches in Latin America. Dr. Russell takes seriously John Wesley's admonition that “the world is our parish.”
Dr. Russell has served as Trustee on various college boards and agencies. He has served on The Mission Society board since 1996.
