Dr. Donald L. Burden has pastored for 34 years. He served 31 of those years in the Allegheny West Conference in various capacities. His ministry has also impacted several countries. He started his ministry in West Virginia in 1984. He has served as a pastor in Canton, Warren, Cleveland, Toledo, and Columbus, Ohio. He also served as Youth Director, Family Life Director, and Ministerial Director for the Allegheny West Conference. In December 2015, Dr. Donald Burden accepted a call from the great Southeastern Conference. He gladly served for the last three years as the pastor of the Lighthouse SDA Church in Fort Lauderdale and First Ephesus SDA Church in Hollywood, Florida where over 200 precious souls have been baptized, and the churches were energized, mobilized.
He holds a B.A. in Theology and minor in Business Administration from Oakwood University. He holds a Master of Divinity from Andrews University. He also holds a Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary located in Dayton, Ohio.
He is married to the former Mary Torres. She is very supportive of his ministry. She is the quiet and calming force to this energy that comes from him. Together they have three sons and one daughter. Marrion is a fireman. Rashad is a pastor. Marcus is a personal trainer. Erika is human resource specialist. They also have four grandchildren. Their hobbies include traveling the world, reading, writing and arithmetic.
His favorite Bible text is Proverbs 3:5,6 “Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path.”
His motto for life is Jehovah Jireh- The Lord will provide; the Lord will see to it.
He loves the Lord and enjoys passionately working for Him in whatever capacity he is called. He also enjoys working hard for the church he is assigned with a passion second to none. He is a visionary. He enjoys beautifying God house so it represent the people of God to the world. He is a leader that leads by example. He lives to populate Heaven and depopulate hell by any means possible.
He considers himself an ordinary person with a little ex-ordinary amount of determination.