Russell Burrill was born in Haverhill , Massachusetts of Baptist parentage. He became an Adventist in his late teens through the ministry of the Voice of Prophecy. He graduated from Atlantic Union College with a B.A. in Theology in 1963 and married Cynthia Hartman, who also graduated the same year with a B.A. in Elementary Education. He received an M.A. from the seminary at Andrews University and a D.Min. From Fuller Theological Seminary. The Burrills have two children: Jim, a Computer Systems Analyst for Adventist Health Systems Sunbelt in Orlando , Florida , and a daughter, Ruth Davis. She and her husband pastor in the Carolina Conference.

Russell and Cynthia's ministry include seven years pastoring in Connecticut and Maryland, followed by seven years full-time evangelism in Mountain View, Chesapeake, and Upper Columbia Conferences, followed by another seven years pastoring in Spokane, Washington and Wichita, Kansas. Since 1985, Russell has been Director of the North American Division Evangelism Institute, for seven years in Chicago , and since 1993, in Berrien Springs , Michigan . He continues to teach at the Andrews University Theological Seminary, where he holds the faculty rank of Professor.

Russell is the author of numerous articles, the Prophecy Seminar lessons, and nine books: The New World Order, Revolution in the Church, Radical Disciples for Revolutionary Churches, The Revolutionized Church of the 21 st Century, Recovering an Adventist Approach to the Life and Mission of the Local Church , Rekindling a Lost Passion, Hope When Your World Falls Apart, Creating Healthy Adventist Churches through Natural Church Development, and Waking the Dead. In addition, he authored “The Pastor's Manual for Net ‘98.”