About Us

J. Russell Crabtree, the founder and President of Holy Cow! Consulting, has served as a Pastor in small, midsize, and large churches in New York and Ohio.  His unique mix of gifts led him to working with churches, regional agencies, and nonprofit organizations. He has developed a number of assessment tools for congregations, church staffs, and middle judicatories with specific applications for leadership transitions.

Russ worked with Carolyn Weese to co-author The Elephant in the Boardroom. He is the author of Mountain of Light: The Story of Montana de Luz, The Fly in the Ointment:  Why Denominations Aren’t Helping Their Congregations and How They Can, and A Second Day:  A Hopeful Journey Out of Suicidal Thinking.