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James Burns

James Burns

4 Sermons

James Burns (August 2, 1865 – September 12, 1945) was an American preacher and educator whose calling from God led him to found the Oneida Baptist Institute, bringing peace and faith to Kentucky’s feuding mountain communities across the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in a log cabin near Charleston, West Virginia, to Hugh Burns, a Primitive Baptist preacher and farmer, and Elizabeth Collins, he was the youngest son in a family that moved from Clay County, Kentucky, to escape feuds. Converted in his teens through a personal spiritual awakening, he taught himself using the Bible and an almanac, later attending a local school by selling ginseng roots, though he lacked formal theological training beyond brief studies at Denison University in 1892. Burns’s calling from God emerged after surviving four years of feuding in Clay County, Kentucky, where a near-fatal attack in 1888—struck over the head and left for dead—led to a transformative mountain vigil, replacing vengeance with a mission to end violence through education and faith. Ordained informally as a Baptist preacher, he began preaching and teaching in 1892 across Kentucky towns, founding the Oneida Baptist Institute on January 1, 1900, with H.L. McMurray, on a site donated by Martha "Granny" Hogg. His sermons called for reconciliation and Christian living, influencing students like Perry Davidson and Matt Hensley to rise above feud culture. Married to Martha Sizemore in 1897, with whom he had no children, and later to Margaret Benner in 1925, fathering James Benner Burns, he served as Oneida’s president (1900–1928, 1928–1934), passing away at age 80 in Oneida, Kentucky.

Sermons
Bio

Revival Means Humiliation

2CH 7:14PSA 51:17ISA 57:15MAT 5:3JAS 4:8

James Burns preaches about the true essence of revival, emphasizing that it involves humiliation, acknowledgment of failure, and a sincere confession of sin by both ministers and the congregation. He highlights that revival is not a quick fix to fill empty pews or regain power, but a process that scolds before it heals, rebuking unfaithfulness, selfishness, and neglect of the Cross. Burns challenges the Church to embrace daily renunciation, evangelical poverty, and deep consecration, even though this call to revival may be unpopular due to its convicting nature.

Dissatisfaction -the Forerunner of Revival

2CH 7:14PSA 30:5JOL 2:25HAB 2:3ACT 1:14ROM 8:26EPH 5:14JAS 5:16

James Burns preaches about the cycle of spiritual revival within the Church, emphasizing how periods of darkness and dissatisfaction often precede a deep longing for God and a revival of spiritual life. Despite times of defection, there are always faithful individuals who continue to pray earnestly for a renewal of spiritual power within the Church. As the urgency for revival grows, groups of believers come together in prayer, crying out to God for a fresh outpouring of His divine power. This collective spirit of intercession and expectation signals the imminent dawn of better days and a revival within the Church.

John Knox and the Revival in Scotland

PSA 23:4ISA 61:1MAT 5:10ROM 8:181CO 1:272CO 4:8PHP 1:202TI 1:7HEB 10:35REV 2:10

James Burns preaches about the challenging and corrupt conditions in Scotland at the beginning of the sixteenth century, where the people were oppressed by poverty, ignorance, and spiritual bondage under a corrupt state church. John Knox, born in this tumultuous time, eventually embraced the Protestant faith and became a pivotal figure in the Reformation movement in Scotland, facing persecution and imprisonment for his beliefs. Despite enduring great suffering, Knox's unwavering courage and dedication to preaching the gospel led to the growth of the Reformed faith in Scotland, culminating in the abolition of Roman Catholicism and the establishment of the Church of Scotland.

The Laws of Revival

2CH 7:14PSA 51:10ISA 55:6ACT 2:46JAS 4:8

James Burns preaches about the profound impact of revivals in the history of Christianity, emphasizing how they awaken individuals and communities to spiritual realities, leading to repentance, salvation, and a renewed sense of joy and purpose. Revivals spread rapidly, revealing God's active presence and guidance in human history. Each revival movement brings about a swift and widespread awakening, a deep sense of sin and conviction, a reformation within the church, a joyful outburst of forgiveness and renewal, and a lasting positive influence on society.