Facing Des Moines: Meet Russ Melby

Thousands of Iowans in a hundred communities across the state know Russ Melby. You should know him too. Formally known as the Reverend Russell J. A. Melby, Russ is the Iowa Regional Director of Church World Service whose Iowa office is headquartered in Des Moines. As such he oversees and works with volunteers to organize CROP Hunger Walks in more than 100 cities and towns across the state. The purpose of Hunger Walks is to raise money to alleviate hunger and suffering in parts of the US and the world.

Born and raised in Fargo, North Dakota Russ earned a bachelor’s degree from NDSU after a slightly longer than usual college career that Russ claims was greatly enhanced by a four year interruption where he served in the United States Navy (1966-70). In the Navy he worked in the supply department aboard a tender, a destroyer escort, a DER, and a DD. He credits the reading that he did in the Navy with helping to direct and form his character in very positive ways.

Speaking of reading, without hesitation he named three of his recent favorite books as

• Why Study the Past? The Quest for the Historical Church, by Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
• The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations, by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and
• The Bible: A Biography, by Karen Armstrong.

After graduating from NDSU in 1974 Russ went on to the Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary in Minneapolis (now Luther Seminary in St. Paul). He served as Pastor at Pioneer Lutheran Church in White, South Dakota for 5 years before accepting a call to service with CWS here in Des Moines in 1984.

I’m sure it’s not a surprise that he loves his job, and there is probably only one call to service that would take him from Des Moines. Do the Green Bay Packers need a Chaplain? That might do it. There is a small Packer shrine in the corner of Russ’s office: cheese head, photos of old and new Lambeau Field, paperweight, game photos, Packer note cube, and more. Definitely a fan of the Packers.

So if you want to find Russ Melby, where will you run across him?

• in his office at 3816 36th St.
• on the road in Iowa for CROP
• on occasion filling in as guest pastor to talk about his work for CROP and Church World Service
• at home in Ames, or
• at one of his favorite Des Moines restaurants: Tandoor; Bravo! Cucina Italiana; A Dong; Baratta’s.

Look for him around Des Moines.

Guest Writer: James G. Lindberg (Jim) is the Purple Wren’s sweetie and is a visiting chemistry professor at Grinnell Collegeand retired from Drake University.

CROP is an acronym for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty.

Church World Service is an ecumenical collection of Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian churches and several affiliated organizations including Heifer International, YMCA, YWCA, and others “acting on God’s call to serve neighbors in need.” Quoting from their literature, “Working with partners, Church World Service builds interfaith and intercultural coalitions to eradicate hunger and poverty and promote peace and justice around the world.”