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 The late Dr. Burruss gave his life to Jesus Christ at the age of seven, a fact that he would vividly describe in detail. However, not being taught in the Word, by his early teens he turned away from the Lord and entered a life of crime being motivated by the hatred of the poverty that was all around him. Starting with nothing he became an extremely wealthy young man. He was listed as one of the top ten men responsible for organized crime in the City of St. Louis in the seventies. His drug and theft operations not only involved St. Louis, but a few other cities including Mexico during his almost twenty years of crime. During that time his parents and sisters never gave up praying for him to return to the Lord and for his deliverance.
In 1981, he had a Damascus road experience where God spoke to him in an audible voice and told him He was tired of what he and his friends were doing. Shortly after that he surrendered his life to the Lord by repenting of his sins and giving his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. For the next twenty-five years he lived totally surrendered out to the Lord. He gave away his wealth and walked away from his drug empire, trusting God that he would not be murdered. He enrolled at Beulah Heights Bible College in Atlanta, GA and received his Bachelor's Degree in Christian Education in 1986. In January 1987, he came back to St. Louis knowing that God had spoken to him that he would have a large ministry in St. Louis. In January 1987 he met Pricellious J. Morris. On June 14, 1987 they were licensed and ordained as ministers of the Gospel at the 10 a.m. Sunday Worship Service and at 2 p.m. they were wed in Holy Matrimony. In March 1989, they co-founded Richard Burruss Ministries and in July 1989 they co-founded Transformation Christian Church & World Outreach Center. Following the command to be fruitful and multiply he and his wife became proud parents of five children from 1988-1994.
 God used him to aid in the cleaning up the city of St. Louis through the thousands of souls that have been saved, set-free and delivered through his ministering at Transformation Christian Church, through radio ministries, other churches, television programs he ministered on, books he has authored, conferences, Transformation Christian Bookstore, evangelistic outreaches such as Richard Burruss Prison Ministry that ministers in almost every prison in Missouri, Saturday School For Neighborhood Children and the physical restoration of properties in our city. He founded the Transformation of Alcoholics & Drug Abusers Alliance and helped other churches start their own drug program locally and nationally to help others get set free from drugs and alcohol. Outside of our country God used him through an African pastor he met at Beulah Heights Bible College to start hosting leadership conferences in Kitale, East Africa where he went annually from 1992-2002. He has ministered in Haiti, Switzerland and other countries transforming lives as well. In 1998, he received a Masters Degree in Urban Ministry, Missions and Evangelism from Southwestern College of Christian Ministries in Oklahoma. On April 30, 2000 he was elected to the Honorary Society of the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges. In recognition of outstanding intellectual achievement, approved Christian character, and effective leadership gifts in advancing the cause of Christ. He received an honorary doctorate Degree from Beulah Heights Bible College in 2004. His success in twenty-five years of ministry has been a tribute to the transforming power of God. From Drug King Pin to Apostle he has left a legacy of faith for his family, congregation, friends and thousands of others who have been transformed by his ministry.
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Tribute - Dr. Burruss