KANSAS CITY – In Kansas City the heat so far this year has been savage. In nearby Platte City, there is a completely different Savage—Russell Savage, a Master of Divinity student at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS).
Savage grew up in the local church. He said his parents were a good model of how to live life devoted to Christ. In high school, he was living for himself and seeking self-glorification. However in his second semester in college, the Lord began to get a hold of him and show him that he was without purpose and sinful. “I knew that He was good, and I wasn’t,” Savage said.
In his search for true repentance, Savage would attend church where his youth pastor encouraged him to read Rom. 12, especially verses one and two. He said he memorized the verses in his head for weeks, but was unable to understand their true meaning.
“I wanted to repent, but I didn’t know how,” he said.
In 2005, during a missions trip, he found Jesus.
“I’m sitting there and He just says to me, ‘don’t conform to the pattern of this world. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you can find out what my will is, and it is going to be good.’ And that was huge,’’ he said. “My next thought was I’ve got to do anything other than what’s normal for a 19-year-old middle-class guy,” he said.
The same day Savage heard about the MBTS Fusion program. When he finished Fusion, he decided to continue because he wanted teachers to influence him more in living the Word than just knowing the Word.
“I wanted men like that to be the ones that had the influence on what I learned,” Savage said.
He finished Fusion in 2006, and then the college at Midwestern in 2009. He is set to finish at the seminary in the spring of 2013. He has no immediate plans and keeps them indefinite so he may serve the Lord where He is called to serve.
Savage credits Alan Tomlinson, Robin Hadaway and Thomas Johnston of the Midwestern faculty for their influence on him. He also said MBTS Fusion Director Shawn Branscum has been very influential in teaching the areas of evangelism and the mission of the church. He credits Branscum with igniting a passion. “What I’ve been gripped by is just this idea of ‘continually growing and being more effective equipped to make disciples, who make disciples of all nations for God’s glory,’” Savage said. “He has taught me so much.”
Savage has excitement in his voice when he speaks about being able to exercise missions locally and anywhere else the Lord may take him.
“There is so much more opportunity for the nations here in Kansas City than I was ever aware of,” he said.
Savage has also participated in the recent MBTS seminary presentation at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in New Orleans concerning his work in an undisclosed location. With about a year of school left, he returned to Fusion to apply what he had learned in this country where hostility toward Christians is high.
“It was great,” he said. “Every single day our mission was to sow as much seed as possible and of all that seed see what starts to grow, and take people to the next step.”
The Lord covered the mission team with His protection.
“There were times we were scared, but we didn’t have any hostility against us,” Savage said.
He said he is trained well to understand how to avoid hostile situations, and he gives glory to God for protection and Fusion training.
Savage is keeping his heart open to where the Lord may take him. He said he is willing to go where the Lord leads, either in the above country or elsewhere. He noted that hostility on the mission field does not scare him as much as cold locations.
In Kansas City, or anywhere the Lord calls, this Savage is not known for heat. He is known for his passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ.