An interview with Brian Burgess
Previous Pastors
Philosophical reasons I believe
When I look at the world around me and the interdependent complexity of life and life cycles (biologically speaking), I cannot help but believe that there was a Supreme Being who organized all of this. The animal eats food, it gives off waste, the waste goes to the ground, other creatures live off the waste, the waste becomes fertilizer, the fertilizer allows food to grow. You see this process over and over in different ways.....the circulatory system cannot function without all parts....it was designed that way, it could not have evolved bit by bit as the only other alternative (evolution) suggests.
Experiential reasons I believe
When my mother became a Christian things changed in my family's life for the better. I did not realize it until several years later when I went through a crisis of belief and had to examine my life and what I beleived and why I beleived it. I was athiest for a while, but had no answers to ultimate questions. God has blessed my life in ways that I cannot consider merely coincidental. He answers prayer for people, God gives me peace when I call upon Him. God guides my life and His Bible has blessed my life on repeated occassions.
Why do you love God?
Because of his love toward me that I feel in my heart. God has been so good to me. I could be back in my old neighborhood, unemployed, on drugs, alcoholic, bouncing around from one woman to an other, bored, discontent, floundering....but God has given me a purpose, joy and has taken me farther in life than I had ever dreamed!
Why do you trust God?
He has been faithful to me. I have tested Him and now am learning to trust Him more and more each day with bigger issues and decisions in my life.
What is your favorite text or chapter and why?
Trust in the Lord with all thy Heart, lean not unto thine own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all thy ways and he shall direct thy paths Proverbs 3:5, 6
Why did you enter ministry?
At first because I wanted to help people, now it is because I feel God has asked me to stay in it and proclaim his goodness, his love for us, His ability to transform and restore our lives and His plan to make all things new.
What is your burning desire for the churches you pastor?
That we would have Jesus in our hearts to guide us and work in us and through us. This is uncommon among most Christians unfortunately, we do works, we belong to an organization, we are loyal but not filled with Jesus spirit.
What is your philosophy of ministry?
Worship God first individually, Worship God in small groups, Worship God in larger groups, worship God in service to each other and the world through a variety of ways. Without God in our hearts, all our works of ministry are vain. He will impress upon us what He wants us to do, and will guide us on how to do it.