The Reverend Dr. Russ Levenson’s ministry has carried him from Birmingham to Yale to Houston, but it was in Texas where his vocation intersected most closely with history. As Rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Levenson presided over the largest Episcopal parish in North America, a congregation that grew to more than 10,000 members under his leadership. There he became pastor, counselor, and friend to leaders whose lives shaped not only Houston but the nation—the Bush and Baker families among them.
Levenson’s years in Houston were not about celebrity, though his congregation included presidents and secretaries of state. They were about a vision of parish life where every person, whether a former head of state or a Sunday school student, was drawn more deeply into the rhythms of faith. Still, the proximity of public life to the pews gave his ministry a distinctive character. George H.W. and Barbara Bush were not only parishioners but companions on a journey of faith. James A. Baker III, too, counts Levenson as a pastor and confidant.
He was with the Bushes in their final years—at the bedside, in prayer, at funerals watched across the globe. Yet his book Witness to Dignity: The Life and Faith of George H.W. and Barbara Bush reminds readers that the story of their lives was not primarily about politics but about faith, family, and service. Jenna Bush Hager described Levenson as “a dear friend and spiritual mentor to both my beloved grandparents,” adding, “His stories of friendship will fill you with hope and inspire grace.”
Those years brought him into public view, yet the heart of his ministry remained deeply personal. He recalls late-night conversations with Baker not about policy but about Scripture, not about campaigns but about calling. He speaks of Barbara Bush’s humor, of the President’s humility, of moments when their public responsibilities fell away and what remained was prayer. In Houston, faith was not ornamental—it was essential.
At St. Martin’s, Levenson’s leadership extended far beyond the Bush pew. The parish expanded ministries for youth, grew in service to the poor, and deepened its global mission. The size of the congregation was extraordinary, but what mattered more was the culture he built—one that made room for both the powerful and the ordinary, where every voice was heard, and where worship anchored community.
When Levenson retired as rector, he stepped into a new calling as author and teacher. His most recent book, Witness to Belief: Conversations on Faith with Some of America’s Most Influential Voices, gathers conversations with leaders from across public life—Denzel Washington, Jane Goodall, Condoleezza Rice, Admiral William McRaven, Amy Grant, Sam Waterston, and others. The project carries forward the same conviction that marked his Houston years: that faith is worth speaking of candidly, that its quiet power shapes lives as much as any political act or public policy.
In October, Levenson will go to nearby Greenwich as part of the Courage & Faith Speaker Series at Christ Church. His conversation with Sam Waterston will not only draw from his new book but also from a ministry defined by presence—at the altar, at the bedside, and at the intersection of faith and history.
Houston gave him a unique platform. The Bushes and Bakers gave him lasting friendships. St. Martin’s gave him a pulpit large enough to serve a city and a parish that stretched across America. And yet, in Levenson’s telling, these were never stories about him. They were stories of faith made visible, of public figures who allowed private belief to shape their lives, and of a pastor who walked beside them.
When he speaks in Greenwich this fall, he will bring with him not only books and stories but also the memory of those Houston years—when the nation’s leaders knelt as parishioners, and when the role of a pastor was, at its core, to be a friend.
