THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 29, 1995 TAG: 9509280166
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEAN GEDDES, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
The Rev. Dale Burden felt the call to become a preacher while still in his teens and he's been at it ever since.
Burden, 61, has been the driving force as well as the minister of Gateway Free Will Baptist Church and founder of the Christian school there since he first came to the church in September 1965. He retires this month, rounding out 30 years of dedicated service.
Yet what may be retirement to this ``fire and brimstone'' preacher, might be the beginning of a career to others, for he plans to remain active in the church, working with senior citizen groups as well as traveling about in his large bus, carrying out his missionary work. And he will also be taking on the challenge of helping establish two colleges near Moldova, Russia.
``I guess you might say, I'm only vacating a position,'' he said and grinned as he sat comfortably in his church office at 5473 Virginia Beach Blvd. surrounded by years of memories: books, pictures and people who popped in and out of the office as though visiting an old friend.
``I have a wonderful 30-year-old associate, Karl Sexton, who is ready to take on the work here,'' he said. Obviously proud of his replacement, he also talked of the work that continues within the church by ``some wonderful lay persons.
``When I came here we had 200 in the congregation and within five years we reached 1,000 and we've retained that figure ever since.''
He spoke of his manner of preaching saying, ``We're known for talking to folks and getting them right with God. We're like churches used to be where you feel you've been to church, once you come.
``We have a Bible-believing congregation,'' he said of his conservative church.
Somehow, when people meet this large, broad shouldered pastor, they feel comfortable talking to him. ``I guess you could say they regard me like a father. After all, the pastor of a church is supposed to be the shepherd of the flock,'' Burden said. He is involved in each of the lives of his congregation calling it a close Christian family.
A subject he feels strongly about is music. ``I feel troubled about the rock and roll music of today. It's destroying the younger generation but not even the politicians will take issue with it,'' he said. He takes issue with it and when students enroll in Gateway Christian School, they are asked to break with the rock music culture. ``We deal with moral issues and no one is allowed to use nicotine and we have no drug users,'' Burden said, adding that his students are above average on their SAT scores.
The school includes grades from kindergarten through high school. ``I started the school with 58 children and today we have 420 students.'' He is also proud of the fact that 13 of his 16 grandchildren are students there.
The Burden family is deeply involved in both church and school work and his wife, Jane, teaches a women's Bible class and serves as church organist. They have six children, including a set of twins, ranging in age from 30 to 39. ``One boy and five daughters,'' Burden added.
For the past 30 years he has averaged 75 to 80 work hours a week. Helping him in the office is his secretary for the past 20 years, Carol Marino. ``She came to us as a result of my radio preaching,'' he explained, saying that he also preaches on station WPMH at noon, Monday through Friday.
The church/school complex covers 25 acres and consists of eight buildings. The present church, which was built under the pastor's supervision 16 years ago, seats 1,500 persons and is the largest Free Will Baptist church in the nation. MEMO: For further information about church services or the school, call
499-9686.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
I feel troubled about the rock and roll music of today,'' the Rev.
Dale Burden says. ``It's destroying the younger generation but not
even the politicians will take issue with it,'' he said. When
students enroll in Gateway Christian School, they are asked to break
with the rock music culture.
by CNB