New minister begins local duties

By Sam Waller

Russell Scott has just finished his first month as minister at Albany Church of Christ after nearly four decades in Kansas.

Scott and his wife of 35 years, Colleen, come to Albany after 31 years with the Church of Christ in Mullinville, Kansas, near Dodge City.

“I’ve been a Kansas lifer until here,” Scott said. “Colleen and I raised our family in Mullinville.”

The Scotts have a daughter living in Abilene and a son living in Lubbock, making the move to Texas more attractive, but his focus is on serving his new congregation.

Their oldest daughter lives in northeast Tennessee.

“My goals for being the minister here are to just make outreach for the Gospel of Christ, to spiritually edify and build up the body of Christ and to build up the saints for service,” he said.

Scott grew up in Haysville, Kansas, a suburb of Wichita, and attended Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas for Biblical Studies. He began his ministry 37 years ago in his home church.

“I preached for my home congregation where I was baptized there in Haysville for six years before moving to Mullinville,” he said. “That was my first full-time work. I went through the school system there.”

The Scotts moved to Albany in late September and he began preaching here on Oct. 3.

“We’re very thankful for the nice welcome we’ve received from the community of Albany,” he said.