CHRIS BURNS
As the Healing Minister of theCross, Chris is responsible to oversee, pastor, and equip leaders to disciple those in need of restoration at our Friday night services, while also providing short-term professional counseling services to members of the church.
Chris grew up in San Jose, California and moved to Florida in 2001. (He considers himself to be a “Cali-Floridian”). He has his own recovery story which influences his heart for those trapped inside their addiction and he is passionate about the life that recovery provides. Chris attributes his personal recovery journey to Jesus.
Chris met his wife Christy in 2007 and they were married in 2009. They have four beautiful children that they homeschool: London, McKinley, Garrison, and Levi. Chris loves taking his wife on dates, wrestling with his kiddos, camping, coaching baseball, and working on carpentry projects.
Chris has been involved in church leadership since 2011. He served as the reGROUP Training Coordinator at Summit Church from 2011-2015 where he taught the recovery curriculum, trained leaders to facilitate recovery groups, and worked with men to walk through the darkest parts of their stories with hope and healing.
Chris earned his Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Central Florida. While in school, he worked closely with UCF students struggling with substance abuse and addiction. He helped create, develop, and launch the Sober Knights and the Collegiate Recovery Community where he served as the CRC Coordinator from 2014-2017.
From 2017-2020 Chris worked at the Residential Level of Care at various treatment centers for both addiction and mental health. He served on the Board of Directors for Hand In Hand, a Christian, Faith-Based in-house recovery community, from 2018-2020 — a ministry which came out of theCross.
Chris is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, and an EMDR therapist. He founded of Rewrite Recovery Counseling, LLC in 2020 where he works to create a vulnerable and intimate space for Christian men to begin their healing journey as they write new chapters in their lives.
Chris loves Jesus and his church family. He is honored and humbled to be a part of this team.