About

Rick Burns Ministries
501 (c) 3 Non Profit Corporation

Rick Burns

In 1988 Rick Burns was convicted of two murders and received two aggravated life sentences. Officials from several different areas claimed he would never be released. While incarcerated Rick earned 5 college degrees, completed 3 college vocations, and completed 3 Bible school programs. After 23 years in prison Rick Burns received a miracle and was released on parole.

Current

Since his release on March 9, 2011 Rick Burns has been doing full-time ministry work in a variety of ways. Rick teaches Anger Management classes and Relapse Prevention classes, presents seminars on The Art of Blessings, The Culture of Honor, as well as other therapeutic topics. Rick Burns goes to other nations to teach, preach, and train leaders all over the world. Rick's largest contribution is sharing his testimony about what the Lord has done for and through him to bring hope to others by conducting and attending prison crusades.

History

Rick Burns life story has been published in a book titled The Road of Dreams. The book is available for purchase in the online store on this website.

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rick Burns. On March 9, 2011, I was released from prison (TDCJ). In September of 1988 I was convicted of two murders and given two life sentences. I spent 23 years in prison and it is an absolute miracle I was granted parole. During the first 2 years of my incarceration I concentrated solely on survival. However, during the last 21 years of my incarceration I did everything possible to help other inmates change the direction of their lives while changing my own in the process. I am the only inmate in Texas who was in an alcohol and drug treatment program for 13 years; not because I am a slow learner, but because I excel at everything I do. I lived in the New Vision Therapeutic Community at Kyle Unit from 1992 to 2005 and served as a Long-Term Cadre Peer Counselor in addition to being in the program. The values, principles, work ethic, compassion, and discipline I developed during those years changed my attitude and my life. My life goals are to work hard, spend time with my family, participate in the TDCJ Volunteer program, do community service work, and serve the Lord in every way available to me through my church, other ministries, or my own ministry.

While incarcerated I earned 5 college degrees and worked full-time without ever missing a day. In 2009 I completed a Master of Arts Degree in Literature from the University of Houston - Clear Lake. In 2007 I completed the Web Page Authoring program at Alvin Community College with a certificate of completion. In 2006 I completed the Microcomputer Applications & Networking program at Lee College, earned an Associate of Applied Science along with a certificate of completion, and graduated Summa Cum Laude. During this time I working full-time as the database manager and administrator for the food service department on the facility where I was assigned. I was the database manager and administrator as well as editor and publisher for the facility's monthly newsletter at another facility from 2000 to 2005. Prior to that I was a tutor for the Austin Community College program called Basic Office Technology after completing their program at the top of my class.

Prior to my incarceration I was a respiratory therapist at a hospital in the Houston Medical Center and before that I was vice president and financial controller of the family oil business. We opened the company in 1980 and experienced some success for several years. My brother and I became fairly wealthy and were living the dream until the bottom fell out of the oil industry in 1986. I also served in the United States Marine Corps and received an Honorable Discharge in 1976.

Currently I assist my wife with her accounting services business while running Rick Burns Ministries and serving the Lord through any open doors available to me. In 2013 I worked for 6 or 7 months as Office Manager for a local hotshot company, but the area economy encouraged my resignation in the summer of 2013. I have been working in QuickBooks for several of my wife's clients since June 2011 and have acquired enough knowledge in that accounting program to enter financial transactions, run payroll, and reconcile monthly bank statements. I worked for New Beginnings Ministries from March 2012 to March 2013. My position was assistant to the founder, Dr. Henry Holland, and he mentored me for the entire year I was with him. I assisted Wells of Agape, Inc. with their Parenting Seminars beginning in 2012. From 2013 to 2015 my wife and I joined this ministry and served in many events. My wife and I began teaching a 6 week Anger Management class at Goodman Unit in Jasper, Texas in 2013 and I taught a 6 week Relapse Prevention class and a 6 week Anger Management class in Orange, Texas for nearly 3 years. I share my testimony and present seminars on various topics whenever given the opportunity. I did not draw any compensation for the classes I assisted with nor did I get paid for any hours or expenses by the ministries with whom I worked. I was simply trying to serve the Lord through obedience and faith.

I have taught 2 adult elective classes for 6 weeks each and 1 adult elective class for 11 weeks at Community Church of Orange, Texas. My wife and I are Prayer Partners and are members in good standing. We are honored to be a part of Community Church and participate in activities there whenever possible.

My prison ministry service includes going on weekend crusades with Bill Glass Behind the Walls Ministries, going on weekend crusades with The Winning Edge Ministry, and scheduling crusades under Rick Burns Ministries. I have participated in several Day With Dad events in TDCJ with Wells of Agape, Inc. and have been allowed to share my testimony at other events numerous times.

My mission trip experience began in 2012 when I travelled to the country of Ukraine with Dr. Holland an his wife Beverly. We conducted a Leadership Conference for almost 2 weeks and during that time I was asked to share my testimony and how to overcome poor choices and lead a more productive life. They also asked me to share how I have given my life to Jesus and what exactly that entails. I was honored to teach on Maturity Development and Attitude, and I preached 2 sermons while in Ukraine. In 2014 I went on mission trips to Guadalajara, Mexico and Belize City, Belize with Community Church of Orange. On both trips I had several speaking engagements where I shared my testimony, presented seminars on The Art of Blessings, and preached sermons. We also did some construction labor on 2 churches and 2 Bible schools there. One of the most significant results was when a gang leader and arms dealer gave his life to Jesus at the Sunday morning service where I had been asked to speak to a group of homeless men and women. There were only supposed to be 8 or 10 men at the service, but people just kept walking up off the street to hear my message and well over half of them answered the Altar Call at the end of the service. The arms dealer wanted to give me his sack of illegal weapons, but I had him throw all of them in the Belize River. A friend of mine was with me for support and got all of it on video with his I-Pad. In 2015 I went back to Guadalajara, Mexico and later went to Roatan, Honduras on the Community Church mission teams. It was such an honor to a part of the ministry that took place on both trips. The Lord continues to open doors which provide prime opportunities for me to share my testimony and bring hope to the hopeless and love to the outcasts.

In January 2016 Rick Burns Ministries was formed. We always look forward to teaching classes, holding prison crusades, presenting seminars and lectures, hosting special events, partnering with many other ministries, sharing testimonies, continuing mission trips to Roatan, distributing The Road of Dreams and The Heart of Roatan Cookbook, and serving the Lord in new ways as more opportunities open up for us. Rick Burns Ministries is a 501 (c) 3 Non Profit Corporation so all donations are tax deductible.