My name is Alex Russell. I’ve been living in Calgary, Alberta Canada ever since my wife Erika and I were hitched in 2015.

Yes, I started late. After hearing a whisper of a call in my teens, I somehow ignored it and became a firefighter. After a 25 year career, I retired and stayed close to the profession by moving into emergency management, where I have been working in higher education now for over 10 years.

The convenience of the online format, the curriculum, and the depth of study provided me with opportunities and benefits too numerous to convey. I am eternally grateful to RBS and its staff for their support and hard work for those who need flexibility without compromising quality.

Having experienced firsthand that the Scriptures are that which gives light, my life became consumed with the study of God’s Word (Ezra 7:10). Very early on, the Lord opened the doors of Reformed theology to me, and I recognized even more that God is sovereign, and He does all things for His own glory.

Throughout this shifting and refining journey over the last few years, one of the doctrines that has most captured my heart is the doctrine of Union with Christ. Lord-willing, in the days to come, I look forward to taking what I’ve learned to help pastor and plant “Grace Union Church” here in my hometown, where, by God’s grace, we will be a family of fellow broken people gratefully embracing fellow union with Christ.

I remember having a conversation with my assistant pastor at the time about affordable seminaries that held strong biblical and theological positions. RBS was the first one that came up. I was encouraged to give it a try by a former church member who told me, “We gotta get you out of that quarry and do what God has called you to do!”