Lead pastor of Freedom Christian Fellowship Minnneola

From the time Russell was a small boy he had family members, church leaders, even strangers’ prophecy over him saying “God has a calling on your life to pastor His church.” As a young teenager, Russell took the news with so much enthusiasm that naturally… he ran in the opposite direction. Russell was the kind of person who needed to see it to believe it, and as nice as it was that people saw such great potential in him, the pressure seemed daunting, and he didn’t feel ready for that responsibility. So he went into the work force dabbling in many trades until he became so skilled he created his own carpentry business able to fix, replace, or build new just about anything your home could need. Russell was at the top of his trade, and he had earned it, but something was missing, and he couldn’t put his finger on it. Jill came into his life bringing joy and happiness Russell hadn’t felt in years, and as their relationship grew, so did their involvement with the church. Jill immediately fell in love with Pastor June Boykin (Russell’s late mother) and her relationship with the Lord and others exploded. As they continued to support the church together, God grew their hearts closer to Him and each other. Guided by the love of his wife and the instruction of the Holy Spirit, Russell not only became confident with his Faith in Jesus but began speaking the Gospel to other people even those he worked with.

One day, the Lord took Pastor June to live in paradise, and Russell was faced with a big decision – step into the role God called him to do, or to cave under the pressure of grief. Amidst mourning his mother, running his business, and learning to be led by the Holy Spirit, Russell chose to follow God’s will for his life by becoming ordained and leading his mother’s church. As Pastor Russell made his commitment to God’s will, the Lord provided people, circumstances, resources, and the power of the Holy Spirit to ensure he did not shoulder this mission alone. Pastor Russell, has worked tirelessly to build a team that works well together, keeps the church growing, and have hearts to bring the life transforming love of Jesus Christ to the world – starting here in Minneola.