Who We Are

Chaplains & Staff

Ms. Deborah Burris


Chaplain Deborah began with ECM as an Eden Seminary intern (2011-2012) and has served as needed as a Chaplain since 2014. Deborah served in several areas of ministry – Christian education/training, preaching, evangelism, prison ministry, church finance, and grief ministry. Youth ministry has been her core area of service for over 40 years. She accepted her call, was licensed in 2005 and ordained in 2014. She currently serves on the ministerial staff at Trinity Mt. Carmel Baptist Church. 

Chaplain Deborah has a Master of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri – Columbia, and a Bachelor of Liberal Studies in Organizational Development from St. Louis University. She will complete her doctorate of education in 2023.
 
In 2019, Deborah retired from her Director & Chief Diversity Officer position at the University of Missouri – St. Louis. This was the completion of a 36-year career at the University of Missouri serving in the administrative areas of diversity, equity and inclusion, human resources, affirmative action, and student affairs. 

Deborah is the founder of Hope of David, a ministry designed to interrupt the prison pipeline system by providing a wholistic, nurturing environment for boys in the foster care system.

Deborah enjoys music, cooking, traveling, family gatherings at her home and playing with her grandchildren – teens to toddlers.