Pastor William Burns considers himself a &uot;people person.&uot;

&uot;I do love people, and I am blessed to be in a good, loving church,&uot; he said of his congregation of almost nine years, Union Baptist Church in Honoraville.

Before coming to serve at Union, Burns was pastor at Highland Home Baptist for three years. He began his ministry at New Ebenezer Baptist, where he served for nearly ten years.

As to why he decided to go into the ministry, Burns will quickly tell you he felt &uot;a burden for the lost.&uot;

&uot;Since I followed God’s call, He has truly blessed me in my ministry and everything else in my life. He promises He will do that,&uot; he said.

The most satisfying aspect of serving a flock is the people, Burns says.

&uot;Of course, best of all is seeing someone come to know Christ as his personal savior. We have three teenagers who will be baptized soon who just made a profession of faith this week, so that is wonderful,&uot; the minister said.

If he could preach one sermon to the world, Burns says it would be this:

&uot;We all go up against giants in our lives, just as young David did, when he went up against Goliath. Self and the world may be the giants we face. Just as David did, we have to turn our lives over to the Lord…I’d just want to encourage everyone to draw closer to the Lord,&uot; Burns said.

Burns is a busy fellow. A bi-vocational minister, he has his own septic tank installation business he operates with his son, Jeff.

He still manages to take time to visit those who are sick or having surgery, perform weddings and funerals, preach revivals and spend quality time with his wife, Jeannette, and their four grandchildren.

&uot;The grandsons [Andy and Dalton] both made All-Stars, which is keeping us on the road this summer. Truthfully, if it wasn’t for the Lord, we couldn’t get around to do all the things that need to be done,&uot; Burns said.

During his rare free time, the pastor loves to grab his line and pole and head over to the nearest fishing hole. It’s an appropriate pastime for someone who is also &uot;a fisher of men.&uot;

&uot;God speaks to my heart and gives me the sermons. I’m just the tool…I give Him the glory,&uot; Burns said.

Burns will be in revival at Calvary Baptist in Georgiana, June 27-29 beginning at 7 p.m. each night.

Union Baptist has Sunday School at 10 a.m. and worship at 11 a.m., with Church Training at 5 p.m. and evening worship at 6 p.m. Wednesday night Bible study is at 7 p.m.