After responding to the call to ministry, Dr. Russell was licensed to preach the Gospel in 1997 at the Mount Ararat Baptist Church of Pittsburgh, PA, where he served as the Minister of Outreach. After receiving a Master of Divinity Degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Dr. Russell was called to pastor the Nazareth Baptist Church in Washington, PA, in April of 2001. He served faithfully as the pastor of Nazareth Baptist Church, building a ministry that focused on evangelism, Christian education, and community development.
Dr. Russell’s passion for the Lord and continuous desire to learn, led him to United Theological Seminary in Dayton Ohio where he received a Doctor of Ministry Degree in 2004. On April 30, 2006, the membership of the Calvary Baptist Church of Baltimore, Maryland, confirmed God’s call of Dr. Stephen J. Russell to serve as Calvary’s pastor. Dr. Russell began his pastoral responsibilities on June 1, 2006. He was installed as the fifth pastor on Sunday, September 24, 2006.
In addition to his dynamic preaching and inspirational teaching, Pastor Russell’s gifts are a compliment to Calvary’s rich history of being a loving, spirit filled, Bible believing congregation. With a focus on the future, Pastor Russell has improved the quality of the churches infrastructure by organizing numerous campaign projects to redevelop and improve all the facilities that are owned and operated by the Church.
As a proponent of doing evangelism through providing community care, Pastor Russell has led the charge for the churches community involvement. Each year the Calvary family partners with outside agencies to conduct community wide giveaways that provide families with back-to-school supplies, medical/social services, clothes, food and the like for hundreds of families.
He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated and the Hannibal Lodge #8 Prince Hall Masonry. Supporting him in every endeavor, are his beautiful and devoted wife, Rita, and their three amazing children Ryan, Ciera, and Stephen.
