Danny Burnley
More than forty years ago, Danny Burnley was formally disassociated — excommunicated — from his home church. His “crime”? As a young deacon, he went to the pastor and asked him to prayerfully consider holding a reconciliation service to help heal the ongoing friction that existed between the pastor and the deacons.
Dismissal from his church’s fellowship was “the worst thing and the best thing” that had ever happened to him. It was the worst thing because it was like a divorce that tore apart a family, but it was the best thing because it ignited in Burnley a God-given desire to help struggling churches, which he has been busy doing for the last four decades.
In his latest book - Excommunicated: 11 Steps to Church Revitalization, Danny offers the lessons he has learned in helping churches battle against ineffectiveness. Through his ministry, he has helped bring churches back from the brink of closure.
Dismissal from his church’s fellowship was “the worst thing and the best thing” that had ever happened to him. It was the worst thing because it was like a divorce that tore apart a family, but it was the best thing because it ignited in Burnley a God-given desire to help struggling churches, which he has been busy doing for the last four decades.
In his latest book - Excommunicated: 11 Steps to Church Revitalization, Danny offers the lessons he has learned in helping churches battle against ineffectiveness. Through his ministry, he has helped bring churches back from the brink of closure.
Served as Youth Sunday School Director, Sunday School Teacher, Royal Ambassador Director and Youth Director at age eighteen where I was saved, baptized and ordained at my home church
Licensed to preach in 1975, Second Baptist Church, Thomson, Georgia; served as teacher, choir member, Men’s Ministry Director, Chairman of the Deacons
Ordained as Pastor,*Unity Baptist Church, Vanna, Georgia 1979-1983; Bivocational while attending Emmanuel College, Franklin Springs, Georgia
Pastor, Union Baptist Church, Iva, South Carolina 1983-1988
Pastor, *Temple Baptist Church, Simpsonville, South Carolina 1988-2001
Pastor, *Sierra Baptist Church, Anderson, South Carolina; a new church start upon the request of Delano McMinn, Director of Missions 2001-2003
Pastor, *West Gantt First Baptist Church, Greenville, South Carolina 2003-2011
Pastor, *Laurel Baptist Church, Greenville, South Carolina 2011-2016
Church Revitalization Consulting, Inc.; Began new ministry with a desire to help churches in decline upon my retirement as pastor on July 1, 2016
*Churches that experienced restructuring and revitalization
Education
1967 - Graduate, Thomson High School, Thomson, Ga
1979-82 Emmanuel college, Franklin Springs, Ga.
1982-84 Trinity College of the Bible (A.B.S.; B.R.E.)
1985-86 Trinity Theological Seminary (M, Mins,)
1989- Covington Theological Seminary (D. Mins.)
2014- Trinity Theological Seminary (Honorary Doctorate)
Associational Involvement
President, Greater Iva Ministerial Association; Iva, South Carolina
President, Pastors Conference, Saluda Baptist Association, Anderson, South Carolina
President, Pastor’s Conference and Moderator, Greenville Baptist Association, Greenville, South Carolina
Convention Involvement
Committee on Committees, South Carolina Baptist Convention (1992)
Elected to serve as Registration Secretary (1998); Second Vice President (2001); First Vice President (2004); South Carolina Baptist Convention
Elected President of the Pastors Conference (2007); South Carolina Baptist Convention; Nearly $10,000 was raised at the Pastors Conference for the Gideon Ministry.
Order of Business Committee (2002-2005); Executive Board (1998-2002); Nominating Committee and Chairman (1998-2001); South Carolina Baptist Convention
Ministers Advisory Council, North Greenville College (2002-2005)
Ministers Advisory Council, Charleston Southern University (1996-2000)
Trustee, Anderson University (2006-2011)
Trustee, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky (1988-2004)
Board of Directors, Trinity Theological Seminary, Newbergh, Indiana; Received Honorary Doctorate for work in Revitalizing Churches
Missions
Haiti – Served with Missionary team from Elberton, Georgia assisting Virgil Suttles, Foreign Missionary to Haiti
Romania – Led six missionary trips to Romania while pastoring Temple Baptist Church, Simpsonville, SC, completing two major building projects in Nassaud and in Tirgoviste.
Licensed to preach in 1975, Second Baptist Church, Thomson, Georgia; served as teacher, choir member, Men’s Ministry Director, Chairman of the Deacons
Ordained as Pastor,*Unity Baptist Church, Vanna, Georgia 1979-1983; Bivocational while attending Emmanuel College, Franklin Springs, Georgia
Pastor, Union Baptist Church, Iva, South Carolina 1983-1988
Pastor, *Temple Baptist Church, Simpsonville, South Carolina 1988-2001
Pastor, *Sierra Baptist Church, Anderson, South Carolina; a new church start upon the request of Delano McMinn, Director of Missions 2001-2003
Pastor, *West Gantt First Baptist Church, Greenville, South Carolina 2003-2011
Pastor, *Laurel Baptist Church, Greenville, South Carolina 2011-2016
Church Revitalization Consulting, Inc.; Began new ministry with a desire to help churches in decline upon my retirement as pastor on July 1, 2016
*Churches that experienced restructuring and revitalization
Education
1967 - Graduate, Thomson High School, Thomson, Ga
1979-82 Emmanuel college, Franklin Springs, Ga.
1982-84 Trinity College of the Bible (A.B.S.; B.R.E.)
1985-86 Trinity Theological Seminary (M, Mins,)
1989- Covington Theological Seminary (D. Mins.)
2014- Trinity Theological Seminary (Honorary Doctorate)
Associational Involvement
President, Greater Iva Ministerial Association; Iva, South Carolina
President, Pastors Conference, Saluda Baptist Association, Anderson, South Carolina
President, Pastor’s Conference and Moderator, Greenville Baptist Association, Greenville, South Carolina
Convention Involvement
Committee on Committees, South Carolina Baptist Convention (1992)
Elected to serve as Registration Secretary (1998); Second Vice President (2001); First Vice President (2004); South Carolina Baptist Convention
Elected President of the Pastors Conference (2007); South Carolina Baptist Convention; Nearly $10,000 was raised at the Pastors Conference for the Gideon Ministry.
Order of Business Committee (2002-2005); Executive Board (1998-2002); Nominating Committee and Chairman (1998-2001); South Carolina Baptist Convention
Ministers Advisory Council, North Greenville College (2002-2005)
Ministers Advisory Council, Charleston Southern University (1996-2000)
Trustee, Anderson University (2006-2011)
Trustee, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky (1988-2004)
Board of Directors, Trinity Theological Seminary, Newbergh, Indiana; Received Honorary Doctorate for work in Revitalizing Churches
Missions
Haiti – Served with Missionary team from Elberton, Georgia assisting Virgil Suttles, Foreign Missionary to Haiti
Romania – Led six missionary trips to Romania while pastoring Temple Baptist Church, Simpsonville, SC, completing two major building projects in Nassaud and in Tirgoviste.
