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Mark Russell (charity director)

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For other people with similar names, see Mark Russell (disambiguation).
Mark Russell
Chief Executive of The Children's Society
Incumbent
Assumed office
2019
Preceded byMatthew Reed
Chief Executive of Church Army
In office
2006–2019
Preceded byPhilip Johanson
Succeeded byDes Scott
Personal details
Born
Mark Kenneth Russell

(1974-06-25) 25 June 1974 (age 50)
Northern Ireland
Alma materQueen's University Belfast
OccupationChief executive

Mark Kenneth Russell (born 25 June 1974) is a charity executive. Since 2019, he has served as the Chief Executive of The Children's Society. He has additionally served as a lay member of the General Synod of the Church of England and of the Archbishops' Council, both from 2005 to 2011 and from 2015 to 2019.[1][2] He was previously a local preacher in the Methodist Church in Ireland,[3] and was a reader in the Church of England.[3][4]

Early life and education

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Russell was born on 25 June 1974 and brought up in Northern Ireland.[1][2] He was educated at Portadown College, a grammar school in Portadown, County Armagh.[1] He studied law at Queen's University Belfast, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 1995.[1][2]

Career

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At the age of 21, Russell was licensed as a local preacher in the Methodist Church in Ireland.[3] From 1997 to 2000, he was a youth pastor at a Methodist church in Lurgan, County Armagh.[1] He was also a member of the Conference of the Methodist Church in Ireland between 1996 and 1998.[1]

In 2000, Russell moved to England to become a youth minister at Christ Church, Chorleywood, an evangelical Anglican church in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, and a member of the Church of England.[2][5] In 2005, he was elected as a lay member of the General Synod of the Church of England and appointed to the Archbishops' Council as its youngest member.[2] In 2006, he left Chorleywood having been appointed chief executive officer of Church Army, an Anglican evangelistic charity working in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[1][2] He was a member of the council of the Evangelical Alliance from 2007 to 2012.[6] He was made an honorary canon of Worcester Cathedral in 2011.[1] He stepped down from the General Synod and the Archbishops' Council at the end of 2011.[1][7] In November 2015, he was re-elected to the General Synod as a lay representative for the Diocese of Sheffield and re-appointed to the Archbishops' Council. His term of office ended in 2019.[1][2][8]

In April 2019, he was announced as having been appointed chief executive officer of the Children's Society.[9] He took up the post in August.

Views

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Russell is a supporter of Diverse Church, an organisation for LGBT Christians attending evangelical churches in the UK.[10] He wrote the foreword of Amazing Love: Theology for Understanding Discipleship, Sexuality and Mission (2016), a collection of essays by Anglican theologians that affirm LGBT relationships for Christians.[11][12]

Russell supports the ordination of women as deacons, priests, and bishops in the Church of England.[13]

As of 2014, Russell was a member of the Labour Party,[14] and a former executive of Christians on the Left.[15]

Personal life

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Russell lives in London with his partner David.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Russell, Canon Mark Kenneth". Who's Who 2018. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.151466.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Our CEO". churcharmy.org. Church Army. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "Russell Mark". Archbishops’ College of Evangelists. Church Army. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Cork Diocese Prepares to Welcome Mark Russell, CEO of Church Army". Latest News from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross. Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross. 13 October 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Mark Russell youth worker, lay preacher, and youngest member of the Archbishops' Council". Church Times. 2 November 2006. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Russell, Mark Kenneth, (born 25 June 1974), Chief Executive Officer, Children's Society, since 2019". Who's Who 2024. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  7. ^ "GENERAL SYNOD – Appointment s to the Archbishops' Council" (PDF). Church of England. The Archbishops’ Council. 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Governance". Sheffield Anglican. The Diocese of Sheffield. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  9. ^ "The Children's Society appoints new Chief Executive". The Children's Society. 5 April 2019. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Board of References". Diverse Church. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  11. ^ Amazing Love: Theology for Understanding Discipleship, Sexuality and Mission. London: Darton, Longman & Todd. 2016. ISBN 978-0232532654.
  12. ^ "Evangelicals urged to be more open to sexuality challenge – ChurchNewspaper.com". Church of England Newspaper. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  13. ^ "Women Bishops: Enough Waiting – Mark Russell's message to General Synod". rowanwilliams.archbishopofcanterbury.org. Archbishop of Canterbury. 29 October 2012. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  14. ^ Williams, Martin (1 November 2014). "Ukip MEP apologises for apparently calling charity boss a paedophile". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  15. ^ "Mark Russell: Faith is fine, but what about the policies?". Yorkshire Post. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  16. ^ "Ep 43: Mark Russell, CEO The Children's Society". The Charity CEO Podcast. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
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Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by
Matthew Reed
as Chief Executive 		Chief Executive of The Children's Society
2019–present 		Incumbent
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