Russell Messer was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but grew up in Colorado. His parents founded and started a Messianic congregation in Denver in the 1990s. Russell and his five siblings faithfully served in the family ministry for many years. Russell had a Bar Mitzvah at the age of 13. He began serving on the media team and soon after went on to head up and lead the entire media department for his father’s ministry for the next 18 years. Russell was blessed when he was able to go to the land of Israel with his father and community.

Dina was born in Florida and grew up there with her parents and sister. Her parents founded a Hebrew Roots congregation in Brandon, Florida in the early 1990’s. Dina began serving in the family ministry at about the age of 13. She grew up dancing for the Lord and served many years on the dance team. She was very blessed to have made 6 trips to Israel with her parents and community. While in Israel, they were able to bless the Jewish people and pray and intercede over the land through dancing and worship.

Their fathers met at a Messianic Israel Alliance conference in Orlando, Florida. After some time in ministry together, their friendship grew. As the families got to know each other more, the fathers would joke about their children marrying one day. Long story short, this is how Russell and Dina came together!

Once Russell and Dina met and spent time together in ministry, they fell in love and knew they were meant for each other. As their parents talked together, they came to the revelation of having a biblical betrothal.  Russell and Dina were the first ones in each of their congregations to experience betrothal. On February 9^th, 2002, they were betrothed in Florida in front of all the witnesses of the community. It was here that they began their journey together!  

In the summer of 2002, Dina’s father fell ill and went on to be with the Lord on November 17, 2002.

Russell and Dina were very blessed that they were able to receive his blessing before he passed. He was able to give Dina away at their betrothal and speak a blessing over them. Even more special to them was that he was able to sign their Ketubah (marital agreement). He was a very integral part of their union and they will forever be grateful to him for this. 

On September 5^th, 2004 in Tampa, Florida Russell and Dina were married! After their honeymoon, they moved to Colorado where Russell had prepared a place for his bride. 

Russell continued to work in his father’s ministry for the next 10 years.  He served on the media team leading large events like Passover, Yom Kippur, and leadership conferences, as well as launching biblical-based TV stations around the Denver metro area. Dina stepped in to help lead the dance team and minister at feast days and main events. During these 10 years in Colorado, they had their first 4 children.

Russell was ordained as a Minister in 2007 and in September 2012, he was ordained as a Pastor. 

The Lord began to impress on their hearts that they were to move to Florida and help serve in her parent’s ministry. In October of 2014, they and their 4 children made the journey to Florida to fulfill the call God placed on their hearts. Here they served 9 years, heading up the media department, serving in children’s ministry, dance team, decorating for events, worship team, and much more. They went on to have 2 more children during this time.

In June of 2023, the Scripture verse John 4:23 was placed on their hearts…

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” – John 4:23-24

In October of 2023, the Lord began to move on their hearts again and they knew there was so much more God wanted them to accomplish. 

During this time they also heard a great teacher say “In your misery, God births your ministry”. That hit home with both of them! Their misery was not physical, but just a knowing that they were not yet fulfilling the full potential of the calling on their lives. They needed to step into the next season!

With both of them being raised as pastor’s kids, walking in the understanding of Torah from a young age, and serving in ministry for over 25 years with their families, they knew they had so much more to offer. God had brought them through incredible things and they desired to share all of this beauty with other people and families. Their respective parents had brought them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and it did not escape their notice that God was leading them in their own parent’s spiritual footsteps.

Their lives separately, and together, have always been a testimony and an example to many. They have a passion for the vision God has given them. Walking in much faith and putting all their trust in the Lord, they stepped away from serving in the family ministries for the first time in order to follow the assignment that God put on their lives. 

They have a burden on their hearts for spiritual wholeness in families. They have seen and been witness to a lot of broken and dysfunctional families. Their vision is to build up strong families and help guide them back to the original design and order of how God created the family unit: helping men to be Godly leaders, encouraging women to walk in their God-given roles and callings, and coming alongside the parents to help raise Godly seed on the earth.  By bringing order back into the homes, we can all be a part of creating strong families, and as a result, a strong community of Godly believers.

As Russell and Dina continued to hold on to the Scripture that Abba had given them back in June of 2023, all they kept hearing was “move forward.” 

And so, they did. 

They took a huge leap of faith and obeyed the assignment from God to “MOVE FORWARD.” 

On February 3^rd, 2024, they started a home fellowship with their 6 children and a few friends. They continued to move forward with the vision and the name the Lord had given them for the community.

Spirit and Truth Fellowship was founded on February 3rd, 2024.

Two months later the fellowship hosted their very first Community Passover Seder with around 100 people in attendance. For many, this was the first Seder they had ever attended. 

In the next 4 months, the fellowship continued meeting in the Messer home, worshipping the Father through praise and worship, midrash (studying the Bible together), and enjoying fellowship meals together each week. The community grew to over 50 people meeting in the home. The time had come to look for a bigger facility. Russell and Dina had faith and prayed that if the Lord saw fit for them to continue, He would open the doors and provide a bigger meeting place.  They began to do their part and search for a place to rent and the Lord answered their call.

On June 15^th, 2024, they had their very first service in the new building on Shavuot (Pentecost). The feast day where “Spirit” and “Truth” come together! How profound is that?!

As of today, they continue to honor the Sabbath, celebrate the feast days, and study the Word of God at this same location.

The Messer’s eldest daughter had her Bat Mitzvah in January 2024 on her 16^th birthday. Their 3 oldest children serve on the praise and worship team playing piano, drums, and bongos, as well as helping on the media team and children’s ministry. The Messer family loves being able to serve together in this ministry that God has established for the community around them.

Russell and Dina give all the glory, honor, and praise to God for everything He has brought them to and done in their lives to get them to this point. They continue to trust God on this journey that they are on with their 6 beautiful gifts from the Lord.

The mission and purpose is first, serve the Lord and then serve the people and the community.

That is what it is all about!