Frederick William Burnham (May 7, 1871 – 1960) was an American preacher and missionary leader whose ministry within the Disciples of Christ emphasized church growth and home missions across the early 20th century. Born in Chapin, Illinois, to a physician father from New England stock who died when Frederick was 11, and an unnamed mother, he grew up in modest circumstances. After public school, he worked as a telegraph operator to fund his education, graduating from Eureka College in 1895, with postgraduate work at the University of Chicago, and later receiving an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Dartmouth in 1950. Burnham’s preaching career began post-graduation at Carbondale Christian Church in Illinois (1895–1899), followed by pastorates at Charleston, Illinois (1899–1904), where he built a new church, Decatur, Illinois (1904–1910), and First Christian Church in Springfield, Illinois (1910–1915), erecting notable buildings. Elected president of the American Christian Missionary Society in 1914 at the Atlanta convention, he served as its executive head from 1915, balancing preaching with administrative leadership until moving to Wilshire Boulevard Christian Church in Los Angeles (circa 1920s). Known for statesmanlike sermons blending oratory and logic, he died at age 89, likely in California. Married with family details unrecorded, his ministry focused on strengthening congregations and missionary outreach.