leadership
Celebration Church's Leadership Staff
Providing leadership and vision in partnership with Celebration Elders.
Brian Johnston
Student Life Pastor / Leadership Team
Brian comes to us qualified to serve both as Lead Youth Pastor and Family Life Pastor. He has 17 years of experience in youth and children’s ministry. For the last eleven years he has been a Student Minister responsible for Jr. High, Sr. High, and College ministries in the Raleigh, North Carolina vicinity. He has prior experience as a children, junior high, senior high, and college age youth pastor. He is also a talented graphic designer and musician.
He and his wife, Jenifer, have four children. Brian actually lived in Colonial Heights, outside of Kingsport, for a few years while he was growing up but resided in North Carolina for many years.
Robert Russell
Lead Pastor / Leadership Team
Robert serves as the Lead Pastor for Celebration Church He provides our weekend teaching and functions as the managing executive of the Leadership Team. He also oversees the staff and ministries of Celebration. Robert works with the Elders to provide strategic leadership for the church. You can follow Robert on Twitter (RobertFRussell).
Robert is a former professor at Emory & Henry College and adjunct professor at King College. He earned a BA from Emory & Henry College, MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia, MA in Ministry and MDiv from Luther Rice Seminary, and a PhD from Regent University. Robert and his wife, Michelle, have three children - David, Jonathan, and Abbie. He enjoys cycling, boating, fishing and snow skiing. His second job is as coach of his boys’ soccer team.
Dave Spear
Worship Pastor / Leadership Team
Dave is the energetic, grace-filled guy you see leading worship each week. Dave is a multi-talented, people person. His musical talents and conducting skills have been rewarded with a Dove Award (Christian music's version of a Grammy Award). His people and platform skills have gained the respect of Worship Pastors nationwide.
Dave and his wife, Janie, were married on August 9, 1980. They have two children: Jonathan and Leah. Dave says his goal in life is to lead people into the presence of God through the exercise of worship.
