The Rev. Dr. Russell L. Meyer graduated from Yale Divinity School in 1981, and was ordained in 1984. He served as pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Lakeland, FL for nearly 12 years. Previously he has served congregations in Charleston SC, and Towson MD and Wantagh NY. He received a Doctorate of Ministry in 2013 from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC with a Certificate in Christian-Muslim Relations from the Washington Theological Consortium.

Rev. Meyer serves as Executive Director for the Florida Council of Churches and is a consultant for the Florida-Bahamas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He is the current president of the European Descent Lutheran Association for Racial Justice and chairs the Local and Regional Ecumenism Committee of the National Council of Churches. In addition to ecumenical involvement, he has advanced Information Technology experience and provides consultation to churches. He also has been an Adjunct Professor of World Religions and Ethics at Hillsborough Community College.

Rev. Meyer grew up in Lincoln and Norfolk NE. His family moved to Prairie Village KS during his high school years and he graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School and Baker University.

He is married to Julie Meyer, who is a science officer for an oncology pharmaceutical company. They have two sons: Jacob, an international tennis and strengthening coach, and Andrew, who’s a field manager with Corporate Caterers.