Jonathan Burt was born into a pastor’s family in Zanesville, Ohio, and remembers feeling called to ministry at 3 years old. He was baptized at 9, but wandered away from God. After a nearly fatal accident at 12, he decided to be good enough to earn God’s mercy, but discovered the futility of depending on himself and instead surrendered to Christ.
Burt was ordained April 1 at the Enterprise Church in Enterprise, Kansas. He began his ministry as an intern pastor at the Chapel Oaks and Lawrence churches in Kansas. He then went to seminary and, after completing his Master of Divinity, returned to serve the Enterprise, Junction City and Salina churches.
Burt’s father, Merlin Burt, gave the message during the ordination service. He challenged Burt to keep his emphasis on making disciples for Jesus. The Kansas-Nebraska Conference president Ron Carlson delivered the ordination prayer, and said, “Scripture tells us we are to lay hands on you. It is a sign, a symbol in Scripture of blessing. There is something special about community—a whole group of your colleagues saying, ‘Lord, please bless the ministry of this couple.’”
Burt responded to the ordination charge by requesting his members’ support through prayer: “Pray for me and for our churches that we can be what God intended us to be.”
