The Reverend Dr. Russell J. Levenson, Jr. began his tenure as Rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston in 2007. He and his wife, Laura, have three adult children, Evie, Jones, and Luke, and two grandchildren, Genny and Austin. They love serving Our Lord Jesus and all his children through the many ministries at St. Martin’s.

Dr. Levenson graduated with honors from Birmingham-Southern College, receiving the College’s highest service award, “The President’s Student Service Award.” He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree there, studying business and English. After a few years in educational administration at his alma mater and then a few years as a Lay Minister at his home church of St. Luke’s in Birmingham, Alabama, the Levenson family moved to Alexandria, Virginia, where he completed his Master’s of Divinity at Virginia Theological Seminary. During his seminary years, he served at the historic Christ Church in Old Town, the home parish of President George Washington. After his graduation and ordination, he served as Assistant University Chaplain at the University of the South, before returning once more to St. Luke’s in Birmingham, where he served as Associate Rector under his long-term mentor and friend, the late Rev. Dr. John Claypool. During this season of ministry, he also completed a Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Formation at Beeson Divinity School, before being called as Rector of The Episcopal Church of The Ascension in Lafayette, Louisiana, where he served for five years before being called as the Rector of Christ Church in Pensacola, Florida, where he served until coming to St. Martin’s. Dr. Levenson is St. Martin’s fourth rector since it was founded in 1952. Under his leadership, the Parish has completed two expansion projects, Building for the Ages, completed in 2021, and Building for Life, completed in 2012. The Church is the largest Episcopal Church in North America with nearly 10,000 members.