Russell & Sam
Global Senior Pastors of Planetshakers Church
Russell Evans
Russell Evans is the joint founder and senior pastor of Planetshakers Church and ministry, alongside his wife Sam. He is one of the leading Christian communicators of his time, and highly sought after, world-wide, for his powerfully anointed preaching and leadership gifts.
Born on the mission field in Papua New Guinea and raised as a pastor’s kid (PK), in Adelaide, Australia, Russell comes from a strong Christian lineage that is reflected in his depth of experience, knowledge of the Word of God and passion for the local church. He has first-hand experience of the pressures that accompany PKs, and having struggled as a young man to find his own God-given destiny and purpose, is now passionately committed to identifying, encouraging, equipping and raising up young people and up-coming leaders, to boldly walk in their God-given destiny.
Russell Evans is an anointed preacher and leader who operates powerfully in the prophetic and has the rare ability to relate equally to both younger and older generations. He is committed to ‘speaking the language of the day’ by finding ways to present the unchanging, powerful message of Jesus Christ, in contemporary, relatable ways. He is passionate about empowering creatives to produce music and songs, and other artistic expressions, that are powerful and anointed in the message, but also innovative and contemporary in style, so that church continues to be attractive to and accessible for all people.
Russell Evans’s life message is to continually ‘hunger’ for personal encounters with God” because it is in the place of encounter, that a person will find the acceptance, love, breakthrough, healing, empowerment, correction and direction that they need. His own relentless pursuit of God has resulted in the inspiring faith and bold exploits that characterise his leadership. He is also a man of great generosity, having proven first-hand, the faithfulness of God in areas of provision.
Sam Evans
Sam Evans has been standing alongside her husband, Russell Evans, since the ministry’s inception, helping to champion the mandate of Planetshakers and implement the vision.
As a teenager, her personal journey began when she suffered a family breakdown followed by radical transformation when she was introduced to a personal relationship with Jesus. Sam is now relentlessly committed to leading others into personal encounters with God that will similarly change the course of their lives forever. Her testimony of salvation, healing and responding to the call of God is truly inspiring, powerful and full of hope and redemption. She models a life of joy and fun that can only be attributed to the power of God’s transforming love.
Sam is a gifted and anointed preacher and worship leader who operates powerfully in the prophetic. Every message she brings, culminates in the same truth that she has proven, first-hand, in her own life; “Run to Jesus, He is all that you need”. She is passionate about, and yielded to, the Holy Spirit, and attributes her success to His work in and through her life. She also displays a special love for her Heavenly Father who stepped in to faithfully fill the hole that her father left in her life, when she was just a young girl.
Sam is committed to the process of discipleship and loves to invest in young people, helping them to build their lives on the foundation of regular encounters with God and using the weapons of praise, worship and prayer to overcome challenges and obstacles. She is a devoted mother to Jonathan and Aimee, both of whom serve the Lord alongside their parents at Planetshakers Church in Melbourne, Australia.
Blog post by Russell & Sam
