Meet Justin

I grew up in a 1.5 generation Christian household, where my mother became a Christ follower during my kindergarten and my father during my Jr. High. I trusted in Christ alone for my salvation when I was seven years old after both my mother and my kids club leaders at a local Baptist church shared the Gospel with me.

We did not regularly participate in a local church until my dad was saved, after which we became very heavily involved in church. In many aspects, the second half of my upbringing, I was a “staff kid” as my mother was a PT staffer, and my dad was a very involved Board Member. In my freshman year of HS I went to a youth rally and sensed a call to ministry. I didn’t understand what that meant, and wrestled with the thought.

During my last few years of high school, I essentially worked as a staffer at my church, where I was given opportunities to teach and lead under the guidance of a kind and adventurous Senior Pastor. Throughout college, I remained deeply engaged in ministry, working my way through school while leading a Campus Ministry evangelism and outreach ministry that eventually connected with Campus Crusade. I thought the Lord would send me directly into church planting, but He knew I needed more training.

I served in my first FT pastoral role under a mentor who pushed me hard to achieve my full potential and provided ample opportunities, making me his reliable number two. I met my amazing wife Julie during this time, and that launched a lifelong adventure of marrying a PK turned MK, who understands the ministry lifestyle.

20 years later - the Lord has sent us on many adventures, and we have served all over the U.S., seeing many people come to faith in Christ, and churches grow and flourish!

"

Highlights

I am a seasoned ministry leader with over 20 years of experience in a variety of cultural settings, engaged in a co-vocational lifestyle that has kept me connected to both ministry and culture. My experience has proven the ability to navigate large projects exceeding $20MM while also nurturing the smallest among us who need gentle shepherding. I have a deep passion for people and care about those on the outer edges as much as I do those in the inner circle. There is little left to fear in life, as the Lord has been with us in the boat through many storms. My wife Julie (married 19 years) is an MK/PK who has never lost her missionary mindset. My boys (16 & 13) are actively engaged in following Christ and serving His church. Should the Lord call me to be your next Lead Pastor, I would bring both the grit and the grace the Lord has forged in me, and dive deep with you into His Word, Worship, Walk, and Work as we live out the Witness to the Gospel of the risen Christ in Albany and beyond.

Experience

Executive Minister & Chief of Staff [Confidential]
Oklahoma (June 2022 – Present)

- Praise God for His provision of energy, ideas, and people, in the location now called “Oklahoma’s Fastest Growing Town”
- “XP’d” a 10 year old church plant in need of someone who would: integrate & execute, translate & transition, as well as focus and fix
- Witnessed many people from diverse church backgrounds join the church, increasing attendance by 100+
- Provided executive leadership function to grow a staff team to 7FT and 10PT employees, plus seasonal staff
- Navigated the process of relationally onboarding 6 new deacons, and 3 new elders
- Journeyed through three worship locations due to growth and facilities availability for a mature portable church
- Designed and moved staff/offices to newly constructed Euro-style open office share-space, creating a 5 year multi-campus strategy
- Served as project navigator for an existing long-term $21,000,000 master planned new construction historic style church campus
- Completed Phase 1 of the construction master plan, including congregational move-in during February 2025
- Built new teams through equipping the saints: Mobile Church, Finance, HR, Security, AV, Facilities, and Risk Management, among others
- Through God’s blessings and the generosity of his people, managed a church budget that more than doubled in three years

Owner - J&J Burns Team, Real Estate
Tulsa Area, OK (July 2017 – Present)

- Witnessed God’s incredible provision for my family and grew my trust in Him in all things
- Saw the Lord use Kingdom Business style approach to build lasting Gospel relationships
- Built a Real Estate business from scratch to eventually become a Top 10% Sales Team in N.E. Oklahoma
- Served as a trainer, coach, and speaker for agents and offices
- Developed community relationships and a book of business across N.E. Oklahoma
- Grew to serve clients including investors, starter homes, light commercial, & luxury estates
- Created a pre-market renovation/contracting model to refresh/remodel 12+ homes
- Led a family business approach involving my wife and two boys as key partners in success


Lead Pastor of KidMin & Strategic Leadership Team Member- Fellowship Bible Church
Tulsa, OK (April 2015 - July 2017)

- Called by God into a church in pain and transition to walk through hard things and develop leaders
- Saw dozens of children and adults trust in Jesus Christ for salvation and walk with Him
- Shepherd, lead, preach, and teach on Pastoral Team to a congregation of 800+ people
- Serve on the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) to lead church-wide vision and direction under Elder Board
- Lead 4 directors, 25+ staff and 75+ volunteers in three departments plus Christian Preschool
- Navigate with SLT to make hard decisions on staff cutbacks, replacements, and changes
- Supervise departmental finances of approximately $250,000, including incoming revenue
- Conduct/Officiate weddings, baptisms, communion, child dedications, and visitor follow-up

Pastor to Families with Children - Freshwater Community Church
Wadsworth, OH (October 2012 - April 2015)

- Shepherd, lead, preach, and teach on Pastoral Leadership Team to a congregation of 600+
- Family Ministry expert at a “Comeback Church” as identified by LifeWay’s Stetzer & Dodson
- Saw transformational spiritual growth in men/families through Men’s Ministries
- Witnessed many children and adults trust in Jesus for salvation and walk with him
- Counseled parents, conducted hospital/home/new baby visits, and “shared life” with families
- Manage a ministry team of over 80 volunteers on a weekly basis
- Train 25 leaders to successfully launch a community outreach AWANA program
- Equip a ministry team to create and launch a PreTeen ministry department

Safety & Security Manager - IKEA
Frisco, TX & Bolingbrook, IL (May 2010 - September 2012)

- The Lord allowed me to be a Gospel presence in very worldly environment
- Developed meaningful relationships and by God's favor was voted "employee of the year" in 2011 at a top performing store
- Was promoted from a coworker, to a key team member, then to a manager at a store in Chicago
- Supervised a team of 6 professional security agents in a $83 million/year environment
- Coordinated all aspects of safety and security for 1.2M visitors per year and 250+ staff
- Promoted cooperative relationships with executive/departmental management
- Oversaw joint safety efforts for the largest on-building solar panel installation in the State of Illinois
- Trained 45+ managers and team leads in First Aid, Anti-Theft, and Safety Practices
- Delivered 95%+ scores on various Internal Practices Audits
- Conducted internal investigations related to policy, ethics, and regulatory concerns
- Partnered with national insurance carrier to investigate all workers compensation claims
- Worked with police to investigate and solve theft, fraud, and scam cases

Associate Pastor of Connections - Frisco Bible Church
Frisco, TX (November 2009 - January 2012)

- Invited to work with my friends and mentors during the period of time Frisco was the #1 fastest growing city in America
- Saw Jesus call people from all over the USA to a body of believers as they realized "what is the Gospel" for the first time
- Lived in the middle of what became known as "The Billion Dollar Mile" development area
- Served on a large staff team to lead a church of 1200+ people
- Oversaw all church-wide celebration functions, including Baptisms, Easter, etc.
- Functioned as a primary contact for 100+ newcomers annually
- Oversaw 80+ volunteers on five assimilation/connection teams
- Navigated congregational move-in to new facilities as part of staff team
- Redeveloped church membership class and served as panel member for in-class theology questions
- Designed rapid assimilation process to move visitors into active ministry roles
- Partnered to help launch Men’s Ministry groups

Owner - 360 Web Expeditions – Web Strategy
Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (September 2008 – May 2010)

- Learned to trust the Lord for provision and "gear up & show up" in the places He arranged by His mercies
- Grew start-up business from a local service provider to a national consulting business
- Functioned as Web & Business Strategy consultant for Inc. 5000 national corporations
- Developed materials for clients used to successfully secure Fortune 500 contracts
- Provided solutions to pro sports teams, four star hotels, and high end real estate clients
- Conducted nationally broadcast Social Media Webinars for clients

Pastor to Families with Children - Community Bible Church
Brighton, MI (February 2007 – September 2008)

- Honored to be present for the transformational work of the Holy Spirit in Families lives
- Saw Jesus rescue people from utter darkness and change their worlds
- Provided leadership, guidance, discipleship and pastoral care to over 150 volunteers
- Led a Children & Family Ministry Department blessed with an annual growth of 15%
- Supervised a 20 hour per week Administrative Assistant
- Managed and maintained a seasonal staff of over 15 paid Childcare Workers

Associate Pastor - Girard Alliance Church
Girard, PA (January 2005 – February 2007)

- Shared a yoke of leadership burden during a time of serious personal trial for Sr. Pastor
- Primary Preaching Associate for Sunday Evening worship services
- Associate Preaching Pastor for Sunday Morning worship services
- Developed vision/strategic planning retreat for Elders and Church Staff
- Presided over and assisted with funerals, weddings, baptisms, and baby dedications
- Conducted weekly hospital and home visits to church and community members
- Co-created a multi-year “School of the Bible” style strategic plan for adult ministries
- Served as a specialist on the denominational District Discipleship Commission for 120+ churches

Community Programs Coordinator - Municipality of Murrysville, PA
Murrysville, PA (May 2002 – December 2004)

- Worked daily with Mayor, Police, Fire, & EMS Leadership, as well as City Staff and Community Leaders
- Conducted benchmarking, cost comparisons, and cost vs. benefit research
- Served as communications specialist for local Homeland Security Emergency Response
- Created, planned, and conducted annual community-wide 5000+ attendee event
- Researched, designed, and implemented over 100 community programs