Russell was born and brought up in Putney, SW London before studying history at Edinburgh University.  He trained for the ministry in Manchester and has served churches in Billericay, Essex, and West Wickham and Elmers End in South London before becoming minister of Purley URC in January 2005.  He is married to Nicola (also a URC minister - at Wallington) and they have two sons, Cameron and Ross.

Born in Streatham, South London, I attended a Congregational Church, which became a URC in 1972, and I served as a Church Secretary and elder, alongside my teaching profession and being an accredited lay preacher.
I took early retirement from my post as Head, when my school in Ewell amalgamated with another local school.
The next three years I trained for ordained ministry on the then Southwark Ordination Course. 
I was ordained in Trinity URC/Methodist Church in Sutton, as the Associate  Minister, working with the Methodist Minister, and in close contact with the local Baptists and Anglicans. During this time I became one of the Chaplains at St Raphael's Hospice, North Cheam. 
I thank God for my calls to serve him in teaching and in the church.