Mark Burns (pastor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mark Burns
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Burns in 2019
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John Mark Burns
September 21, 1979 Anderson, South Carolina, U.S.
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| Education | Southern Wesleyan University Tri-County Technical College North Greenville University |
| Occupation | Pastor, political candidate |
| Known for | Co-founder, NOW Television Network |
| Political party | Republican |
| Children | 5 |
John Mark Burns, born on September 21, 1979, is an American evangelical minister and a televangelist. He is the pastor of the Harvest Praise & Worship Center in South Carolina. Mark Burns was an early supporter of Donald Trump during the 2016 United States presidential election. By 2023, he became a board member of Pastors for Trump.
Burns has run for the United States House of Representatives several times. He tried to represent South Carolina's 4th congressional district in 2018 and 2022, but was not successful. He also ran for the 3rd congressional district in the 2024 election. He is also a co-founder of the NOW Television Network.
Early Life and Education
Mark Burns attended Southern Wesleyan University for a short time. He then went to Tri-County Technical College. After that, he attended North Greenville University for one semester before leaving.
Clarifying Education and Service
In August 2016, some information Mark Burns had shared about his education and military service was clarified. It was reported that he had attended North Greenville University for one semester and did not earn a degree from there. Also, he served in the South Carolina Army National Guard from 2001 to 2005, not the U.S. Army Reserve for six years as previously stated. Burns later explained that the incorrect information on his website was due to a hack. He also admitted that some claims about his education were not accurate.
Career Highlights
Religious Work
After working at a McDonald's, Mark Burns started a church in Easley, South Carolina. He then began working in televangelism, which means sharing religious messages on television.
Supporting Donald Trump in 2016
During the 2016 presidential election, Time magazine called Mark Burns "Donald Trump's Top Pastor." Yahoo! News also named him one of the "16 People Who Shaped the 2016 Presidential Election." Burns mentioned that he had usually voted for the Democratic Party in the past. He even supported Barack Obama in 2008, saying he wanted to see the first Black man become president. However, by 2016, he said he had "seen the light" and supported Trump. He believed Trump was "a smart man" who understood "authenticity."
At a Trump rally, Burns made a comment about Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders. Burns later clarified that he did not mean to criticize Sanders' faith.
Burns gave a prayer on the first day of the 2016 Republican National Convention. Before the prayer, he spoke to the convention. He called Trump a "man of God" and asked Republicans to unite. He referred to Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party as the "enemy." Some people criticized this, saying he was mixing religion with politics. Burns later said he would have used different words, like "political opponents," if he could go back.
In August 2016, Burns was criticized for a social media post. He later apologized to those he offended. He also shared his belief that the Democratic Party uses Black people for votes.
Running for Congress in 2018
In February 2018, Mark Burns announced he would run for the South Carolina's 4th congressional district seat. This seat was being left open by Trey Gowdy, who was retiring. Burns did not win in the first round of voting, receiving 2.48% of the votes.
Running for Congress in 2022
In 2022, Burns ran again for South Carolina's 4th congressional district. He challenged the current representative, William Timmons, in the Republican primary. Burns received 23.8% of the votes but was not successful.
Running for Congress in 2024
In 2024, Mark Burns ran for the South Carolina's 3rd congressional district seat. He received support from presidential candidate Donald Trump. In the primary election, Burns came in first with 33.2% of the votes. However, in South Carolina, a candidate needs more than 50% of the votes to win the primary outright. Because he didn't reach this, Burns went to a runoff election against Sheri Biggs. Biggs narrowly won the runoff on June 25th, becoming the Republican nominee.
Political Views
2020 Election Views
In November 2020, during the 2020 United States presidential election, Mark Burns shared his concerns about the election process. He stated on social media that he believed "President Trump is the clear winner of this 2020 Presidential election."
Views on the Capitol Attack
After the January 6 United States Capitol attack, Burns was among those who suggested that people associated with antifa were responsible for the events.
Views on the Russo-Ukrainian War
Initially, Mark Burns was against supporting Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War. However, after visiting Ukraine, he changed his mind. He stated that he had been "brainwashed by fake news media about Ukraine" regarding claims of religious suppression and actions by Russia. As a result, he described Vladimir Putin as "Evil, pure evil."
Personal Life
Mark Burns has five children. He has two children with his ex-wife, Tomarra Burns. He also has three children from a previous marriage. Tomarra also had two children from previous relationships, and Burns was their step-father.
