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Pastor Russ was
born on April 18, 1945 in Miami, Florida into a Christian family. When
he was approximately six months old his family moved to Westfield, New
Jersey where he lived until he was in junior high school. At that time
the family moved back to Miami where Russ finished his high school
education. In his growing up years his family attended several different
kinds of churches, including Grace Orthodox Presbyterian, Christian and
Missionary Alliance, Southern Baptist, and independent Baptist. .
It was
in the summer of his seventh grade year that he and some of his siblings
went to a church camp in Quarryville, Pennsylvania. It was at this time
that, around a campfire, he gave his heart to the Lord Jesus Christ.
He
mostly attended private Christian schools during those years and went on
to attend Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee—also a Christian
institution. He attended there during the years of 1963-1967. Here he
met his wife-to-be, Faye Smith, who also had been raised in a strong
Christian home. After he graduated from college, he married and went on
to the University of Tennessee to obtain a master’s degree in science
education. Following this he returned to Bryan College to teach for
three years.
In
1971 he came back to the University of Tennessee to pursue a Ph.D.
degree in cell biology. During this time in their marriage, they faced a
crisis in that in spite of how badly they wanted to have a family, they
could not seem to conceive a child. It was during this difficult time
that God led them to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit through
which they found power and victory in their difficult circumstances. In
March of 1972, they adopted a baby girl, six weeks old.
Pastor
Russ continued to pursue and earn a PH.D. in cell biology and graduated
in 1976. For the next two years he did post-doctoral work in cancer
research at the Oak Ridge Associated Universities.
As a
result of the call of God on his life that he had sensed a few years
before, he became convinced that God was leading him to pastor a church.
In 1978 he stepped into full-time ministry and functioned as a teaching
elder at Trinity Chapel.
In the
fall of 1981, because of some changes that were coming in the leadership
of Trinity Chapel, Russ and Faye felt that the Lord would have them
start a church in Northwest Knoxville. They planted New Covenant
Fellowship on November 1, 1981.
The
first building that NCF occupied was a storefront on Clinton Highway
across from the Clinton Plaza Shopping Center. The church met there for
four years until God led us to purchase some property on Central Avenue
Pike for a new church location. With tremendous grace and favor of the
Lord, the land was purchased and the building built and occupied by the
last Sunday in December of 1985. There have been several additions to
the original building since that time.
In
1987 the Lord led Pastor Russ and Faye to bring into their family and
adopt five siblings, ages 8-14 yrs. Three years later two more children
were also added to their family, ages 9 and 11.
Now the
Porcellas have eight children and are helping to raise two grandsons.
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