Jim Burns, soloist, song-writer, clinician and
worship leader, was for 10 years director of the
internationally acclaimed Lee University
Singers. His choirs have concertized in the
Orient, the former Soviet Union, throughout
Western Europe, and in most of the United
States, including Hawaii. He was coordinator of
the graduate program of music and conductor of
the concert choir at Oral Roberts University,
and is currently the Director of Graduate
Studies of Music at Lee University. Burns holds
the D.M.A. from Southwestern Baptist Seminary,
where he was a student of James McKinney, late
president of the National Association of
Singing.
As soloist, Jim has recently performed the bass
roles to Handel's Messiah at Valley Cathedral in
Phoenix, Haydn's Creation at Appalachian State
University, Brahms' Requiem with the Huntsville
civic chorus and orchestra, Savior with the
Ballet Magnificat at the Gammage Theater on the
campus of Arizona State University, and at the
Philharmonic Hall in Kaliningrad, Russia. His
voice students have performed in opera, on
Broadway, and with many contemporary gospel
performing groups. He founded the Crusaders
Choir at the North Cleveland Church of God while
serving as minister of music for T.L. Lowery. He
has served as an adjudicator and clinician at
the local and national level for a number of
organizations.
Having taught at Lee University since 1967, and
at O.R.U. during a two-year hiatus, Jim has
taught hundreds of students in his church music
classes who are currently serving in churches
across America. The Burns' recently spent two
summers teaching in Poltava, Ukraine, and two
weeks teaching in Johannesburg and Soweto, South
Africa, where they founded that their music
opened many doors for them. Jim and Doris were
supervising teachers for the semester in Germany
in 2002, and Jim taught at the Conservatorio
Ateneo in Asuncion, Paraguay in summer 2004.
Jim has served as interim worship leader in
Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Church of God,
and independent churches. Jim says, 'To see God
at work in a variety of settings is very
fulfilling for me. I do not feel that I really
know a group or individuals until I have
worshiped with them. Music is one of the most
special gifts given to us. It allows us to enter
in high praise or intimate worship with our
Heavenly father."
Jim has served as musical director for
productions of Oliver, Godspell, The Sound of
Music, My Fair Lady, Annie, and A Fiddler on the
Roof, and conducted the Lee University
presentation of West Side Story. He and his wife
Doris wrote, recorded and regularly perform
their family musical, Seasons of Love. They are
currently completing the manuscript of a
"travelogue of music and worship experiences"
entitled "It happened on a Sunday." Doris is a
playwright and drama producer in her spare time.
They recently completed the musical play “The
Circuit Rider’s Wife” commissioned at eh 1902
Stock Exchange Dinner Theater in Georgia. It has
been performed to acclaim two dozen times. See
website:
www.circuitriderswife.com.
They have three sons. Kevin (wife, RaDonna) is
lead trumpet for the Airmen of Note in
Washington, DC. Todd (wife Brenda) provides
background music for several daytime TV talk
shows. On a recent international university trip
to Paraguay, Ryan found the lovely Rocia, his
wife. Ryan is co-owner of a car business in
Cleveland; and three grandsons--Ty, Trevor, and
Max.
When it comes to church music, Jim says, "I
consider music to be one of the most powerful
tools of worship and ministry given to the body
of Christ. We have the awesome privilege of
ministering to our God, our church, our
families, our community, and to ourselves
through music. It is within our God-given
capacity to choose music which builds us up and
strengthens our relationship with God and His
creation. We are charged to sing 'psalms, hymns
and spiritual song,' and to sing 'with spirit
and with understanding’.”
Dr.
Jim Burns
