The Shelby Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC), 51 E. Third St. in Shelby, welcomed Pastor Russell Aspinwall as their new pastor Oct. 1, 2025. He and his wife, Caroline (Carrie), and two young sons recently moved into the church parsonage and have been busy getting settled and meeting with the community.
According to the church’s search committee, before October 1, the church had been without a regular pastor for two and a half years. Pastor Dan Barnum-Stegerrda was a shared pastor between the Hart Congregational and Shelby Congregational churches from May 2016 to June 2023. Prior to Pastor Dan, the last full-time settled pastor for Shelby Congregational was Pastor Ruth Fitzgerald.
Aspinwall most recently served in St. Joseph, Mich., as pastor of a non-denominational Church of Christ and as the interim pastor at Pilgrim Congregational UCC.
“I was looking to get into a more liturgical denomination,” Aspinwall shared. “After patiently waiting, we got connected with Shelby. We fell in love with them, and they fell in love with us.”
Born and raised in Gobles, Mich., Aspinwall grew up in the Pentecostal denomination. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Theology in 2019 from Christian Life College in Stockton, California.
“I moved back to Michigan and ended up deconstructing/losing my faith. I was unsure of what I believed or what I should do. I had this degree in theology, but I didn't even know that I believed in God. So I took my degree and went into the Clinical Mental Health program at Cornerstone Seminary. This worked out well because, as a seminary, my BA in Theology was acceptable for entrance into a master's program. I figured that I may never become a pastor, but I could still help people through counseling, which is really the heart of pastoral work. In the process of going to school, I was able to reconstruct my faith in a way that felt honest and genuine. I learned to love the Bible, not as a document to defend my presuppositions, but as the story of humanity's ever-evolving relationship with God. I felt this was a good foundation to pursue pastoral work on. That's what characterizes my deepest pastoral longings now, to continue that story in my own life and to help others continue in their understanding of God.”
When not involved in the weekly life of his new church, Aspinwall is busy preparing to become officially ordained in the Congregational Church and working toward his master's degree in counseling.
When asked how he sees his life as a pastor, he says, “I’m 28, and my wife is 25. I’m trying to be a young man doing the right thing. None of our friends are married or have children. My primary goal is not to proselytize or draw people away from other churches. My goal is to bring wonder back to the Bible. I view it as truthful, and my hope is that as we grow (spiritually) - that it is organic. That we grow like a family, a healthy family.”
“Pastor Russell is full of Christ's love, which will overflow into the Shelby UCC congregation, making it the destination for those in our community wishing to bring that love into their lives,” shared member of the pastoral search committee, David Law.
Pastor Russell said outside of getting to know his congregation and his new community better, his only other goal currently is “getting all of the church’s technologies going in the right direction.”
In the meantime, those with questions or interest may keep up to date on the church’s Facebook page, Shelby Congregational UCC, by emailing Pastor Aspinwall at russellaspinwall@yahoo.com or by calling the church office at 231-861-4404.
