BETHEL MORAVIAN CHURCH

Reverend Joel Russell

Currently serving as the Pastor of Bethel and Goshen Moravian Churches in North Dakota since 2017.  He left the United States Army on 31 March 2015 after nearly 35 years of military service. He served in several assignments during his career with his last assignment in the Army was with First United States Army, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois.  He has served in all 3 Components of the Army.  Active Duty, the Army Reserves and the National Guard. He is a former enlisted soldier serving 8 years as a Chaplain Assistant.  He received his commission through National Guard Officer Candidate School and served with the Washington Army National Guard from subsequently transferring to the Chaplain Candidate Program with the United States Army Reserve until his commission as an Army Chaplain in 1992 and beginning his ministry on Active Duty in 1993.  He holds a Bachelors of Theology Degree from Hannibal LaGrange College, Hannibal, Missouri and a Master of Divinity Degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, Mill Valley, California. 

His assignments over the past nearly 35 years have been varied as a Chaplain Assistant they include, the 9th Infantry Division where he served with the Headquarters 9th Infantry Division the 3rd Brigade and the 3rd Battalion 47th Infantry.  His next assignment was with the 172nd Light Infantry Brigade (Alaska) serving with the 5th Battalion 327th Infantry and the 1st Battalion 37th Field Artillery.  He culminated his enlisted experience serving with Headquarters I Corps.  In the Washington Army National Guard he served as an Assistant S3 with the 1/81 Support Battalion.  His Chaplain Candidate tours were with 555th Engineer Group, Madigan Army Medical Center and ARPERCEN in St Louis, Missouri.  His Chaplain assignments have been Battalion Chaplain 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Battalion Chaplain 1st Battalion 9th Infantry (MANCHU) in Korea, Battalion Chaplain 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry and Brigade Chaplain 1st Brigade 25th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington, Battalion Chaplain 65th Engineer Battalion, Brigade Chaplain 3rd Brigade 25th Infantry Division and Battalion Chaplain 17th Corps Support Battalion at Schofield Barracks Hawaii, Army Chaplain Recruiter United States Army Recruiting Command at Fort Meade, Maryland, Group Chaplain 7th Corps Support Group Chaplain, Bamberg, Germany, Chaplain, 2nd Iraqi Army Division Military Transition Team, Multi-National Division North, Mosul Iraq, Brigade Chaplain 16th Sustainment Brigade Chaplain Bamberg, Germany, Command Chaplain Army Sustainment Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, Deputy Command Chaplain, Intelligence and Security Command, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.  He has deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq.