Mark Burns (pastor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark Burns
Burns in 2019
Born	John Mark Burns (1979-09-21) September 21, 1979 (age 45) Anderson, South Carolina, U.S.
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 September 21, 1979) is an American evangelical minister. He is a pastor in South Carolina. He also works as a televangelist, which means he preaches on television.

Burns was an early supporter of Donald Trump during the 2016 United States presidential election. By 2023, he was a board member of Pastors for Trump. He has run for a seat in the United States House of Representatives several times. He tried in South Carolina's 4th congressional district in 2018 and 2022. He also ran for the 3rd congressional district in the 2024 election. Burns 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. He did not finish his degree there.

About His Education Claims

Burns had said he earned a degree from North Greenville University. He also claimed to have served six years in the U.S. Army Reserve. In 2016, these claims were found to be incorrect by CNN.

Burns had only attended North Greenville University for one semester. He did not receive a degree. He served in the South Carolina Army National Guard from 2001 to 2005. This was different from the Army Reserve. Burns first said his website was hacked, causing the wrong information. Later, he admitted he had not been truthful about his education.

Career Highlights

Religious Work

After working at a McDonald's, Burns started a church in Easley, South Carolina. He then began working in televangelism, which means he shares his religious messages on television.

Supporting Donald Trump in 2016

Time magazine called Burns "Donald Trump's Top Pastor." Yahoo! News also named him one of the "16 People Who Shaped the 2016 Presidential Election."

Burns said he used to vote for the Democratic Party. He even supported Barack Obama in 2008. He said he wanted the first black man to become president. However, in 2016, he said he had "seen the light." He believed Trump was "a smart man" who understood "authenticity."

At a Trump rally, Burns made a comment about Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish. Burns later explained he did not mean to criticize Judaism. He said his comments were not about 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." He also asked Republicans not to fight among themselves. He referred to Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party as the "enemy." Some people, like the Interfaith Alliance, criticized him. They felt he was mixing religion with politics. Burns later said he would have used different words. He would have said "political opponents" instead of "enemy."

In August 2016, Burns was criticized for sharing an edited image of Hillary Clinton. Burns later apologized to those he offended. He said he believes the Democratic Party uses black people for votes.

Running for Congress

Burns has run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives multiple times.

2018 Election

In February 2018, Burns announced he would run for South Carolina's 4th congressional district. This was for the seat held by Trey Gowdy, who was leaving Congress. Burns did not win in the first round of voting. He received 2.48% of the votes.

2022 Election

In 2022, Burns ran again for South Carolina's 4th congressional district. He challenged the current representative, William Timmons. Burns received 23.8% of the votes in the Republican primary. He was not successful.

2024 Election

In 2024, Burns decided to run in South Carolina's 3rd congressional district. Presidential candidate Donald Trump supported him. In the primary election, Burns came in first. He received 33.2% of the votes.

However, to win a primary in South Carolina, a candidate needs more than 50% of the votes. So, Burns went to a runoff election. He ran against nurse practitioner Sheri Biggs. On June 25th, Biggs narrowly won the runoff by 2%. She became the Republican nominee.

His Views

2020 Election Views

In November 2020, during the 2020 United States presidential election, Burns claimed there was voter fraud. He shared his concerns on Twitter. He said he was worried about "those who seek to undermine the sacred election process." He also stated that "President Trump is the clear winner of this 2020 Presidential election."

Capitol Attack Views

After the January 6 United States Capitol attack, Burns suggested that people linked to antifa were responsible for the attack.

Views on LGBTQ People

In a 2022 interview, Burns shared strong views about parents who support transgender children. He also spoke about teachers who support LGBTQ students.

Personal Life

Mark Burns and his ex-wife, Tomarra Burns, have two children together. Burns also has three children from a different previous marriage. He was also a step-father to Tomarra’s two children from her past relationships.