The Rev. Dr. Russell J. Levenson, Jr.

The Reverend Dr. Russell Jones Levenson, Jr. was born and reared in Birmingham, Alabama. His is married to the former Laura Norton and they have three children, Evelyn (20); Jones (18) and Luke (12). 

Russell received a Bachelor of Arts cum laude from Birmingham-Southern College in 1984. Upon his graduation, he was awarded the College’s highest service recognition as the recipient of the President’s Service Award. Prior to entering seminary, he worked at Birmingham-Southern as Assistant to the President of the College and later as Minister to Youth at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Birmingham, Alabama.

He received a Master of Divinity Degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1992. While at the seminary, he served as President of his entering class and as a member of the seminary’s Executive and Curriculum Committees. 

Following his graduation from VTS, he served as Assistant University Chaplain, under the Reverend Dr. Samuel Lloyd, until he was called as Associate Rector at St. Luke’s in Birmingham, where he served under the Reverend Dr. John Claypool for four years.  While in the Diocese of Alabama, he served a three year term on the Secretariat, serving as the Head Spiritual Director for Cursillo in Alabama; and completed his Doctor of Ministry at Beeson Divinity School in 1997.

In 1997, he was also called to be the rector of The Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Lafayette, Louisiana.  During his tenure, the parish nearly doubled its budget, gained over 500 new members and underwent over $5 million in capital improvements.  While in the Diocese of Western Louisiana he served on the Executive Committee for three years and as a member of the Commission on Communication.

In 2002, Dr. Levenson was called as the fifteenth rector of historic Christ Church Parish in Pensacola, Florida.  During his tenure, over 600 new members joined the parish; and the parish’s budget grew substantially as did its commitment to outreach, mission, and Christian Education.  In the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, he served on the Diocesan Commission for Communication and the Commission for Stewardship, the Diocesan Commission for Church Growth and Evangelism, and the Standing Committee.

Dr. Levenson has been a featured speaker and retreat leader in North and South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Massachusetts.  He has had nearly 50 articles published in magazines and journals including The Living Church, The Anglican Digest, The Episcopal Teacher, Decision Magazine and The Sewanee Theological Review. 

On the unanimous recommendation of the search committee, the vestry of St. Martin’s called Dr. Levenson to be its fourth rector in May of 2007.  He began his tenure in late August 2007 and, rooted in a firm commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, he continues his commitment to an Anglican expression of the orthodox, Biblical faith we share at St. Martin’s.  He places a high priority on the continued building of our membership through faithful preaching and teaching, active evangelism, Christian education, and outreach.  The 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend And Right Honorable Dr. George Leonard Carey, told us, "Russell is an outstanding man whom I admire very much … a great preacher who gives sparkling sermons."

Russell and Laura Levenson are very warm and engaging individuals. They have been married for 22 years and are very much a team, particularly with regard to their family values, conservative spiritual views and commitment to their Episcopal faith. The Levenson family is very close and loving, and values spending time together. Russell, age 45, has a variety of hobbies, enjoys writing and, like the rest of the family, is very artistic. Laura, who grew up in Roanoke, AL, is bilingual, an accomplished flautist and has a talented singing voice. Luke is 12 and enjoys tennis, basketball and piano. At 18, Jones, plays tennis, is an avid guitarist and songwriter, and will be attending Florida State University as a freshman this Fall. An equally talented guitarist, 20 year old Evie is an avid runner, is interested in life sciences and will be attending university in the Houston area. All three children are keenly supportive of the move to Houston, and the family as a whole is excited at being part of St. Martin's.