Julie Pennington-Russell is senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C.
- Where did you grow up?
Mostly California, but also Ohio, Bermuda, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana. (I was an Air Force kid.)
- What is your favorite verse, book or story in the Bible? Why?
The story of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10.
It invites us to ask, “Is it possible that God’s intentions are wider and freer than I and my tradition have assumed?”
- What is your favorite movie?
It’s a toss-up between “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a portrait of kindness and moral courage, and “Tender Mercies,” a breathtaking story of redemption.
- Who are three people you admire?
Macarena and Eddie Aldape, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel serving refugees in Spain; Laura and David Parajón, ABC/USA medical missionaries serving in Nicaragua; and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Bebber, executive director of Christ House, a residential medical facility for homeless persons in Washington, D.C.
- What is one little-known fact about yourself?
I am the granddaughter of coal miners (on both my mother’s and father’s side).
