Jesus Saved Me

Russell Domingue was born in 1953 to French parents, Mr. and Mrs. Freddie Domingue. He was raised with his older brother, Joe, in Port Arthur, Texas. The Domingue’s were Catholic, though not devout in their walk with God. Sports was a favorite activity of the Domingue boys. Joe, who later played baseball for a Houston Astro’s farm team, encouraged his younger brother to play football. Russell used his inner anger to motivate himself to play football with an uncommon intensity. At Thomas Jefferson High School, Russell became a dominant linebacker and the best, all-around athlete on the team. One of the opposing coaches was quoted as saying, “I’ll never forget the game. Every time I looked up he was either making a tackle in our backfield or knocking down a pass somewhere in the secondary.” Russell’s stellar performance on both the offensive and defensive teams led to a football scholarship at Louisiana State University. In 1973, Russell joined the LSU Fighting Tiger football team. After two years of hard work, he was, “…on the verge of developing into an all-star caliber player.”

“Though I had been raised Catholic and attended church regularly as a child, I decided to quit going to church once I was in college. I wanted to do things my way,” says Russell. “Playing football for LSU meant success and acclaim. It also meant more drinking, drugs and the pitfalls of the world. I took speed to get up for games.” His life’s highest and lowest points occurred on the same day. In 1976, LSU opened the season against the top-ranked, Nebraska Cornhuskers. Near the end of the game, Russell blocked a critical, field-goal attempt by the Cornhuskers. The block preserved a 6-6 tie for the LSU Tigers. ”To celebrate the game, I went to a bar near the campus,” he remembers. “I took more drugs after the game. This time downers. After leaving the bar, I got into a conflict. I was arrested and put in jail for attempted murder. I was later convicted of attempted manslaughter, which brought a sentence — five years probation, one year in a state correction home and one year working with teenagers in New Orleans.”

Confinement didn’t suit the free-wheeling spirit within Russell. He began begging God to get him out of the correction home. Four months later, the home closed. Instead of moving Russell to another institution, he was released. “Praise God! He was protecting me!” reflects Russell. After release from the correction home, Russell was miraculously re-admitted to LSU. He was also invited to the Chapel on the Campus to hear Billy Graham’s associate, Cliff Barrows. ”Before the message, the pastor of the church invited everyone to stand and pray out loud,” remembers Russell. “I didn’t even realize what I was doing. I stood up. Glory! No one even preached that day.” I said, “Lord, forgive me for what I did and I ask that these people forgive me.” Instantly, Russell knew that he had been born again. Russell began growing in God, and after completing his studies at LSU, decided to attend Bible college in Dallas, Texas. In 1983, the Lord led Russell back to Baton Rouge to serve at Christian Life Fellowship.

Until early 1996, Russell served faithfully at CLF as both Associate Pastor and as Spiritual Life Director for the Christian Life Academy. During his association with the church, he led mission teams to India and Africa. In June 1996, Russell and his family moved to Nairobi, Kenya. After spending about two years in Nairobi and ministering extensively in Kenya and India, the Domingue’s returned to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Currently, Russell holds crusades and helps communities establish new churches on several continents around the world.