Pastor's Corner

Message from Russ and Carol:

We at South County Evangelical Free Church are glad you looked us up or stumbled upon us. We hope you find this site helpful and look forward to meeting you in person or virtually.

In 2002, Carol and I arrived in Southern New England from Holland, Michigan (yup, wooden shoes, tulips and Klompen dancers) to initiate and lead a team to establish a new congregation in coastal Rhode Island. We were invited to this task by Grace Fellowship Evangelical Free Church in North Stonington, Connecticut, which cooperated in our support as we took on the bi-vocational work. (I am a woodworker three days a week and Carol is an office manager.) We came here with over twenty years of experience in ministry, both in missions and pastoral. We wish to honor the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by telling His story and attempting to live out His life here in South County, Rhode Island.

After some years of prayer and Bible studies in this community, we are thankful for the leadership team, which the Lord has assembled. We incorporated in 2006. We look forward to our Lord gathering others who wish to enjoy God, investigate His Word and enhance the fame of The Name. AGTGA

Come, grow with us.

Russ and Carol Hadley

About Our Pastor:

Russ Hadley

Education: Bachelor of Arts, Drew University
Master of Divinity, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Wife: Carol, 36 years

Children: Rebekah, Jonathan, Rachel, Sarah

Grandchildren: 10 (You really want me to name them all?)

Church Planted In: 2006

Pastor's Commentary

Planter's Report #73
Posted: Mar 1 2009 5:23 pm EST

The most important element of my identity is that I have a relationship with God through Jesus. Beyond that I carry a 'Y' chromosome and am married (by the grace of God) to Carol. I am the father of four who have made me the grandfather of eleven. I have been called by God to pastor and teach His church. I am blessed with skills and experience in woodworking which makes this present bi-vocational existence possible and enjoyable. By God's providence I live and have my earthly citizenship in the United States of America. I enjoy an official relationship with those followers of Jesus known as the Evangelical Free Church of America among whom I am recognized as a churchplanter working in 'South County' Rhode Island. My weekly fellowship is with a core group of Christians who have committed to the vision of establishing a testimony for Jesus in this area which is deeply relational ('friends', 'family) and devoted to developing disciples of Jesus who want to 'grow up' in Christ and also make disciples of Jesus.

How would you identify yourself?
Statisically? Height, weight, date of birth, education, residence, etc?
Relationally? Son/daughter of, father/mother of, wife/husband of? Tempermentally? Characteristically?
I am an optimist, lazy, forthright, sneaky, impatient, addictive.....?

Sometimes we simply describe ourselves while overlooking our true identity, who we are.

We just finished a study of Abraham, 'Created to be God's Friend' (Blackaby). Ah, there is an element of Abe's I.D. A 'friend of God.' What are elements of friendship? Someone whose company I enjoy who accepts me as I am, but is free to tell me what needs to be said, who expects candor from me, with whom I have important things in common, shared interests, someone with whom I can safely share all of what I truly am, for whom I would lay down my life?

Remember, the issue is not if God is my friend. It is: does God consider me His friend? Is such a consideration part of your identity?

Yes, we returned from Tunisia. (Seems like such a long time ago, now). Our hope had been to give a bit of a photo tour, but, unplanned, our photos remained on a computer in Tunisia and are now, as I write, thanks to Matt's skill and time, making their way here on a disc. You'll hear more from us about that.

God moved so that I was graciously granted an extension to complete my work on the final draft of my ordination thesis/defense. Your prayers that I faithfully follow through on that in a timely manner will be appreciated.

By God's grace we are discipling, we are meeting new folk who found our website, we are sharing in the loss of a parent of one of our own, we are bailing a friend out of jail, we are visiting and being visited by grandchildren, we experience discouragement without being downhearted, we develop friendships in our neighborhood and grow the friendships we have among our team. We have not heard God tell us to stop what we are doing, so we continue doing it. We trust His presence will continue to bless us, that we will remain clean so He will not be grieved with us.

There's always more to tell and we will do that in subsequent 'Reports.'

Seeking to be those whom God would call His friends,

Russ and Carol

Planter's Report #72
Posted: Dec 14 2008 10:03 pm EST

Planter's Report #71
Posted: Oct 16 2008 6:22 pm EST

Planter's Report #70
Posted: May 4 2008 9:48 pm EST

Planter's Report #69
Posted: Feb 4 2008 12:00 am EST

Planter's Report #68
Posted: Aug 6 2007 12:00 am EST

Planter's Report #67
Posted: Feb 11 2007 12:00 am EST

Planter's Report #65
Posted: Sep 29 2006 12:00 am EST

Planter's Report #64
Posted: Jun 30 2006 12:00 am EST

Planter's Report #63
Posted: Apr 3 2006 12:00 am EST

Planter's Report #55
Posted: Oct 16 2005 12:00 am EST