Pastor Jerry Burns

I was born in a small town in Nova Scotia, Canada. I grew up in a Christian home, and went to church all of my life. As a child, I was involved in various children’s ministries, such as: “Patch the Pirate”, a Bible-based kids’ program; children’s choir; and several Vacation Bible Schools each year. Yet, being present in all of these ministries, I never settled the matter of salvation.

It was when I was ten years old that I obeyed the truth of the Gospel (Hebrews 5:9). Through the faithful prayers of my father and family, and fervent preaching of the Word of God, I became a born again Christian.

It was during evangelistic services at Calvary Faith Baptist Church in Sonora that I heard that message of salvation once again. I remember the Holy Spirit burning in my heart that message of heaven and hell, and that I needed Christ to be accepted of God. The message was preached from Luke 16, and by the end of that message I knew unless I, even as a ten year old boy, changed direction, Hell was my destination. As the invitation was given that Sunday night, though I knew I should walk forward, I did not respond.

After the service that night, like any ten year old boy, I got ready for bed. When I got into my bed, the Holy Spirit immediately began to work on my heart once again. You would think that after leaving church, God would leave you alone, but not our God.  The Psalmist said, “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” (Psalm 139:8). The Holy Spirit began to preach the message all over again in my mind. I could hear that preacher repeat over and over again, “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). God was reminding me again of my sin, and that I needed Him for eternal life. It was in the late hours of that night that I knocked on my father’s door, and asked if he would show me how to be a Christian.

That night I trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour, and a miracle was performed in my heart. I changed my destination because I changed my direction that day. I was once heading to a Christ-less eternity, but that day I became a child of the King. One thing is for sure, the prayers of my father and my whole family had become a reality.

After an individual trusts the Lord as his Saviour, God begins to do a great work in his heart (Philippians 1:6). As he submits to the Word of God, he begins to grow as a Christian. On that night as a ten year old boy, I changed spiritual families. I could boldly say that I was a child of the King, and that God, the very God of creation, was my heavenly Father.   As I began to grow as a boy, I also began to grow as a Christian. God began to mould my life, and I began to submit as a young man to the Word of God.

As a teenager, I was baptized and joined the membership of Calvary Faith Baptist Church. I became burdened for the other teenagers to grow in their spiritual life as I was.  So I decided as a teenager to begin a Bible Study at my church. God began to burn deep in my heart a desire to preach and teach the Word of God. I often found myself writing sermons, preparing Bible studies, and preaching these creations in my room.  I knew that God wanted me to be a preacher of the Gospel (I Timothy 1:11-12).

It was at Forest Glen Bible Camp under the preaching of Evangelist Barry Webb, that I surrender to that obvious call in my life. Shortly after acknowledging God’s call, I attended FaithWay Baptist College of Canada for four years and received a Bachelor of Theology degree. I could see God’s hand directing me in the decisions made in the years of Bible College. I married my wife, April, shortly after Bible College, and God led both of us to Kitchener Baptist Church. I echo the words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy in I Timothy 1:12, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.”

I know for a fact that God answers the prayers of His children. My father and mother spent many hours praying for their family. Many times as a child, I would walk by their room and hear their prayers offered up to the God of heaven. Their prayers were for the salvation of their children, and for their faithfulness to God. They wanted us to be used of the Lord in the work of the ministry, and I am here today because of their faithful prayers.

>> Download my full statement of faith here