Faith, hope, love … and levity?

The first three may be familiar with those to the Christian faith found in 1 Corinthians 13, but the fourth, Russ Britton admits, is a bit of a curveball.

“I think we do our best when we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” he says with a grin.

Perhaps that’s why, for Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church’s first message during the COVID-19 pandemic, the leader connected with members in a video from the church’s roof.

That’s about par for the the course, as the saying goes, for Britton, who left his position at DVLC last week as he and family move back to Minnesota, from where his wife hails.

It’s a bittersweet time, Britton says, as he packs up items and says goodbye to dozens of church members, well-wishers and friends.

It’s the people he’ll miss, he says, after four years, 11 months and seven days leading the Lutheran congregation.

Along with the days, he knows the number of member deaths, the baptisms and the weddings.

He’s most proud of the work he and staff were able to accomplish during that most disorienting pandemic that started in March 2020, which required, acquiring software and hardware, learning how to post videos and more.

“It hasn’t been perfect,” he says, “but I’m comfortable saying it’s been good.”

Science and the spirit

Britton grew up in Colorado, the son of healthcare workers. Their profession in the sciences and his interest in the spiritual continues to this day.

“Church has always been something meaningful in my life,” he says, and moments later, “science always elicited wonder.”

A childhood friend said when he got involved in ministry, it was clearly when he was happiest.

But it was while working at a hospital, helping a couple deal with the death of a child that Britton says he knew this was his life’s work.

Britton began ministry in 2001, serving congregations in Utah, Minnesota and, just prior to Sequim in Colorado, coming from a large church with about 3,000 members. There he started as an intern and worked his way up to associate pastor for four years before taking the position at DVLC.

The Sequim church has about 150-160 members — about 100 of those very active, DVLC council president Bev Horan says.

“He’s really creative in how he could bring his faith and nourish our faith,” Horan says of Britton. “He’s so personable, very thoughtful. He’s caring. he did a wonderful job with the services and preaching, [making] wonderful connections with everybody.”

After nearly five years at DVLC, however, Britton said he and the family felt a calling to get back to Sartell, Minn., where his wife grew up and about 90 minutes northwest of Minneapolis. There he’s taken on a congregational life pastor — essentially an associate pastor, Britton says — with a larger church there, and where his son Christopher will enter high school.

“He’ll be very missed,” Horan said, noting DVLC will have an interim leader while the synod does a nationwide search for its next pastor.

Community-minded

Britton says he enjoyed getting out into the community, joining boards and committees along with taking part in Sequim activities.

While he’s leaving the area, he’s remaining on the board at Peninsula Behavioral Health for likely another year, says Wendy Sisk, Peninsula Behavioral Health’s CEO

“Russ has just been really caring and compassionate,” Sisk says. “In his work as a pastor there’s some overlap with the counseling profession. He really had some fundamental understanding of the work that we do.”

His ability for public speaking really helped as well, Sisk says.

“He’s such a dynamic human being; he’s the ultimate extrovert, in a good way,” she says.

“He helped support organization and mission as well,” Sisk says. “I feel privileged to have had the honor to work so closely with him.”

Britton was also heavily involved with the Sequim City Band in the percussion section. He came by the passion for music honestly; his mother was in the local symphony orchestra, and he recalls once getting in trouble with a school principal because he “wouldn’t stop tapping.”

Sequim Gazette file photo by Michael Dashiell. Russ Britton gets a splash of color from volunteers at the Sun Fun Color Run 5k at the Albert Haller Playfields in 2022.

Over the years Britton used his music skills in his pastoral work with youth groups and other congregations.

June 11 was his final concert with his band-mates.

“We hear music at a different emotional level,” Britton says. “That is something I’m definitely going to miss.”

Britton was also active with other groups such as the Olympic Peninsula Healthy Community Coalition, among others.

“I feel I’m accessible to people who aren’t churched” Britton says, acknowledging that he is comfortable asking where people find their comfort.

“That in itself is a mystery,” he says.

Fittingly, he says, a bit of scripture he says describes his pastoral experience is from the 139th Psalm: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”