Life Pacific University is honored to announce Dr. Glenn C. Burris, Jr. as the recipient of the 2026 Lifetime of Service Award. This distinguished recognition honors a lifetime of faithful leadership, enduring influence, and unwavering service to Christ and His Church. Through decades of ministry, Dr. Glenn has shaped leaders, strengthened the Church, and advanced the work of the Kingdom with wisdom, humility, and vision. The award will be presented at the 2026 Alumni and Friends Lunch on May 26, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas.
LPU President Dr. Angie Richey (’97) states, “Throughout decades of faithful service, Glenn Burris Jr. has embodied the kind of leadership that shapes generations. Whether serving the Church, mentoring leaders, leading a global movement, or sharing wisdom through stories drawn from a lifetime of ministry, he continues to offer a steady and trusted voice. His faithfulness, humility, and vision have left an enduring imprint on The Foursquare Church and beyond, inspiring all of us to lead with courage, conviction, and grace.”
Dr. Randy Remington, President of The Foursquare Church, shares, “Glenn has continued to steward his calling in an exemplary way, in every season, including this chapter of his life. He’s an inspiration and example for us all.”
Pastor Adam Davidson (’13), Corporate Secretary and VP of Administrative Operations for The Foursquare Church, says, “Dr. Glenn C. Burris Jr. continues to model a fruitful life of steadfast commitment to Jesus and His Church. He has consistently led for decades with grace, loyalty and kindness, impacting generations and generations to come.”
LPU President Emeritus Dr. Jim J. Adams (’77) was president of LPU at the same time Dr. Glenn served as President of The Foursquare Church. He shares, “A member of our board for many years, Glenn was always a great cheerleader and supporter of Life Pacific University. His warmth and speaking in the chapel quickly connected him with students, staff, and faculty. Our board and leadership were always grateful for his support and encouragement as he represented LPU to the whole Foursquare family.”
Rock Hill to Mt. Vernon
Glenn C. Burris, Jr. was born in the summer of 1954 in Columbus, GA, to L.I.F.E. alumni Garnette and Glenn Burris, Sr. (Class of 1952). Glenn Sr. and Garnette pastored Rock Hill Foursquare Church in Rock Hill, SC, so Glenn Jr. (and his brothers, Jeff and Tim) grew up as PKs. At an early age, at the altar of his parents’ church, Glenn Jr. received Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Years later at a Foursquare youth camp, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and committed himself to a life of Christian service. As a senior in high school, he dedicated himself to the pursuit of pastoral ministry, enrolling at LPU’s historical institution, Mount Vernon Bible College, in Mount Vernon, OH.
“My time with professors and staff added great value to my ministry and experience as a follower of Christ,” Glenn reminisces. “I learned discipline, responsibility, goal setting, vision formation and a global Christian perspective. I also gained a greater appreciation for our Foursquare heritage and family.”
His time at Mt. Vernon was focused on ministry training, and little did he know, more than ministry training awaited him there. In the fall of 1974, Glenn met the lovely Debbie Zinn. A sweet romance followed, and the couple married in the summer of 1975. Glenn went on to graduate from Mount Vernon Bible College in 1976.
Debbie, who was gifted in music, would not only become a loyal lifelong partner, but also an integral part of their ministry, helping to lead the women’s ministry in the local church, as well as partnering in Dr. Glenn’s district, national, and global ministry.
Ministry Journey
Following his graduation from Mount Vernon Bible College, Dr. Glenn Burris began his ministerial journey as a youth pastor at Concord Foursquare Church in Concord, NC. In 1977, he stepped into his first senior pastor role at Macon Foursquare Church in Macon, GA, and later served as senior pastor of Cornelius Foursquare Church in Cornelius, NC, from 1980 to 1992.
Dr. Glenn was then appointed District Supervisor of the 10-state Southeast District, where he also served on the district council and as a member of the Foursquare Cabinet. Following ten years in this role, he was appointed General Supervisor of The Foursquare Church, with direct oversight of districts, churches, ministries, and ministers across the United States. During this season, he also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors from 2004 to 2008 and received an honorary doctorate from The Foursquare Church in 2007.
3 Presidents of Foursquare, Dr. Jack Hayford, Dr. Glenn Burris, Pastor Randy Remington
Foursquare Family
On September 1, 2009, Dr. Glenn was named interim president of The Foursquare Church, serving for 13 months before being elected President in 2010. He would go on to serve two five-year terms as President of the movement. These terms coincided with Dr. Glenn serving as Chair of the Foursquare Global Council for 10 years, helping to organize the Global Council of Elders and engaging more than 200 leaders to help shape the future of the global Foursquare movement. These efforts included establishing Foursquare Distinctives, and launching Reimagine Foursquare to align finances, structure and mission.
With such great scope of ministry, it is hard to choose just a few notable moments, but Dr. Glenn was able to share with us a couple of cherished memories: “I was privileged to spend a day in a Panama prison with Manuel Noriega (a notorious drug and military despot),” Dr. Glenn explains. “He shared his conversion journey to Christianity.”
Another incredible moment was much larger in scale. “I shared a week of meetings with Pope Francis at the Vatican with other Pentecostal leaders,” Dr. Glenn shares, “celebrating the 100th year of the Charismatic Catholic Renewal that saw millions of Catholics get baptized in the Holy Spirit. In front of 250,000 people, they worshipped together with the song ‘Majesty’ written by Pastor Dr. Jack Hayford, former President of Foursquare and Life Bible College.”
Life at L.I.F.E.
Across the years, Dr. Glenn also served at his alma mater in multiple leadership roles, including a brief season as president of Life Bible College East and as a member of the Life East Board of Trustees. In these roles, he brought a unique perspective as a Mount Vernon graduate, local pastor, and district supervisor, relating deeply to both students and the churches the institution served across the East Coast.
Dr. Glenn has also invested in the life of LPU through his service on the Board of Trustees during his tenures as General Supervisor and President of Foursquare. His advocacy for Life Pacific University and its mission is further reflected in the establishment of the Burris Endowed Scholarship, which supports students from states that comprised the historic Southeast District.
“My connection with past Presidents, administrators, staff and professors has been life enriching,” Dr. Glenn shares. “Observing their kingdom influence and partnership has been deeply rewarding. What’s happening today is nothing short of an extraordinary leap of imagination and ministry influence. This is a day our founder, Aimee Semple McPherson, would have seen in her vision and dreams.”
Dr. Glenn Burris with Bishop Kenneth Ulmer + Dr. Leonard Sweet
Celebrating Years of Service
After decades of faithful service in roles spanning local church ministry, district leadership, and global influence, Dr. Glenn Burris, Jr. concluded his second term as president and retired in September of 2020. Upon the occasion of his retirement, The Foursquare Church produced a video compilation of appreciation for Dr. Glenn’s many years of ministerial service, which we invite you to view here: https://resources.foursquare.org/video/in-appreciation-and-celebration-of-the-foursquare-church-president-glenn-burris-jr/. We are delighted to share just a few brief quotes from this moving compilation:
“Glenn is a very strong, passionate leader. “He is someone who champions diversity and equality.”
~ Pastor Huey Hudson, Restoration Church
“One thing that sticks out to me about Glenn is that as busy as he is, he would always put people before process.”
~ Pastor Maria Coleman (’05), Freedom Church
“He is a great encourager…He didn’t come to us as President or as a great leader; he came to us as a friend, remained as a friend…He’s one of the greatest leaders we’ve had.”
~ Dr. Leslie Keegel, Fmr. National Leader of The Foursquare Church in Sri Lanka
“I see God having used Dr. Burris to bridge generations and bridge cultures… It’s been a joy to walk in the kingdom of God side-by-side with you, and I can simply say this to you my brother, what is coming for you is even better than what has been; God’s not finished with you yet.”
~ Bishop Kenneth Ulmer, Kenneth C. Ulmer Ministries
“I don’t know if there is anyone that I respect more than Glenn Burris. He is the consummate southern gentleman. Glenn has this calmness and peace, and I think it’s wisdom as well, that helps him work through the most challenging situations.”
~ Pastor Nate Poetzl, Faith Chapel Sidney
“Nobody champions people more than him…He also navigated us into what it meant to be the global Foursquare Church.”
~ Pastor Bill Gross (’18 MASL), Oasis Church
Family Ties
Dr. Glenn and Debbie’s beautiful family, witnesses to this incredible lifetime of ministry, have also felt their love and care across the years, and sometimes from across borders. Dr. Glenn and Debbie’s two children, Heidi (married to Dustin) and Joshua (married to Stephanie), have blessed them with 4 beautiful grandchildren (Avery, Hunter, Taylor, and Luke), and in these latter years of retirement, one of their greatest joys is their family time together.
The Latter, Greater Days
Glenn and Debbie now reside in beautiful Canton, Georgia, about 45 miles north of Atlanta, at the edge of the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains. In their retirement days, Dr. Glenn and his beloved Debbie continue to serve and pour into those around them. “Our current ministry focus has been to mentor younger leaders,” Dr. Glenn says. “[We also] serve our families by spending lots of time with our kids and grandkids. We help influence our neighborhood by serving on the HOA board, attend a local church with our kids, participate in Foursquare district and national events, [and keep up] a public social media presence with devotional material and encouragement.”
“I have a passion to connect with people,” Dr. Glenn shares. “I currently play Pickleball with five different weekly groups.”
Despite being an active and involved ‘minister’ in his local neighborhood, he takes moments of respite to appreciate Creation. “Debbie and I love to spend time at the beach and in the mountains,” Dr. Glenn shares. “Golf is also a passion of mine!”
Dr. Glenn Burris after playing golf with Bob Hope
Be a Lighthouse
Time and time again Dr. Glenn Burris, Jr. has pastored others in the gentle and pastoral way he speaks about brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. It’s a reality beautifully illustrated in this March 2026 quote from an Instagram post from Dr. Glenn, juxtaposed with a photo of himself in front of a vibrant red and white lighthouse: “That’s our mission in life, to represent Jesus to a bruised, broken and bullied world. Extend heaven’s resources and riches to bring people back from the brink of despair. Love them, bind their wounds, pray for them, and contend for their full restoration. We are all broken in places. But God who is rich in mercy is at work in this world to bring heaven to earth. Help by being his hands and feet, and bring them to Jesus. Start by being a ‘lighthouse’ to dispel the darkness and welcome His Light.”
May we all follow Dr. Glenn’s example and be a lighthouse in this world!
Life Pacific University is honored to celebrate Dr. Glenn C. Burris, Jr. as the 2026 Lifetime of Service Award recipient, recognizing his faithful service, dedicated leadership, and lasting Kingdom impact. Through decades of ministry, he has faithfully led, encouraged, and shaped leaders across the Church, leaving a legacy that will continue to influence generations to come. Please join us in recognizing Dr. Glenn at the 2026 Alumni and Friends Lunch on May 26, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas.
🔗 For more information or to RSVP, visit: lifepacific.edu/events/2026-lpu-alumni-and-friends-lunch/
