Pastor Sandy Burkett, Ph.D. has been a full time Pastoral Counselor since 1980. She has a Ph.D. in Biblical Counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary, Newburgh Indiana. Her Ph.D. research was on the Restoration of Joy in Victims of Childhood Trauma. Dr. Sandy and her husband are ordained as Apostles through Christian International, under the covering of Bishop Bill Hamon. Both her and Greg are Elders at Marion Christian Center. As a Board Certified Pastoral Counselor (AACC), Dr. Sandy has minister to those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Cult related issues, marriages and those wanting freedom from homosexuality.
In 1987, God released a passion to equip those in churches to counsel the broken hearted. Dr. Sandy understood that many broken people sought help from their family, friends, church leaders and Pastors before they made an appointment with a professional counselor. Thus, BreakThrough Biblical Counseling training was birthed. Since then, Pastor Greg has helped teach, develop and polish the courses into training manuals. Since 1987, there are over 2,000 graduates in the central Ohio area.
Graduates of the BreakThrough Biblical Counseling are ministering the BreakThrough Living Bible studies, in their communities, churches and Ohio prisons. The Bible Studies are also being translated into Russian.
Dr. Sandy is a sought after speaker and minister. She is published and has presented papers at American Association of Christian Counselors and special conferences on Dissociative Identity Disorder. She teaches or co-teaches with her husband many workshops and conferences. The most popular is Free 2B Me that used to be Healing the Broken Hearted.
In 1992, Dr. Sandy and Pastor Greg took their first trip to a former Russian nation, the Ukraine. Their hearts were broken for a nation of individuals that were in bondage from communism. They have ministered throughout the Ukraine in churches, business meetings, and seminaries. During the first year, they help establish a BreakThrough Church in the city of Balaklaya. In 2009, they help establish a School of the Holy Spirit that is offered every year in Dnepropetrovsk.
The heart of Jesus is the passion Dr. Sandy desires to demonstrate to those struggling with life issues. She demonstrates and believes that every one can experience the Joy of the Father. Her desire is equip individuals to demonstrate the righteousness, peace, and joy of the Kingdom of God.
Dr. Sandy and Pastor Greg have been married since 1990. As a blended family, they have two sons. They are blessed with two daughter-in-laws, six grandchildren and a Yorkie-Pooh named Moose.
Pastor Greg Burkett was employed in the private sector at the ITT Research Center from 1973 through 1986. From there he was employed in management with the City of Columbus until retirement in 2006. During this time Pastor Greg wrote training materials, served as a School Board member for a Christian school, and held church leadership positions. Evangelism has always been a passion of Pastor Greg. In the 80’s he was a National Trainer for Evangelism Explosion.
Greg was a member of the same church where Pastor Sandy was on staff. In April of 1990 Greg graduated from BreakThrough Biblical Counseling training. As the ‘Teacher’s Pet” he married Dr. Sandy in October of that same year. United in marriage his passion to preach and teach was now combined with a passion to minister to those who are broken and to equip believers to reach their full potential in Christ. He was ordained in 1992 as a teacher then in 1993 as an Apostle and a Pastor through Christian International Network of Churches under the covering of Bishop Bill Hamon.
Pastor Greg and Dr. Sandy are active partners teaching BreakThrough Biblical Counseling training. Their passion runs deep for starting new ministries. They minster many conferences and workshops God has developed through them. Together their foremost passion is to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry”. They co-teach the popular Free 2B Me conference, formerly known as the Healing the Broken Hearted conference. Pastor Greg also ministers as a Pastoral Counselor.
In 1992 Pastor Greg and Dr. Sandy took their first trip to Russia and the Ukraine. Their hearts were broken for a nation crushed in spirit through communism. Through BreakThrough Ministries they established a church in the city of Balaklya near the Russian border. They were the first to minister in this part of the nation. Establishing the church meant paying the new pastors salary for the first year. Since then the church in Balaklaya has birthed many new churches and broadcasts a weekly radio program.
In the Ukraine they have taught leadership conferences in the city of Kharkov where Russian pastors came over the border to attend. They have ministered in seminaries, colleges, schools, business meetings and orphanages. Together they helped establish the first School of the Holy Spirit in the city of Dnepropetrovsk with Pastors Maxim and Julia Belousov.
Pastor Greg and Dr. Sandy are so abundantly blessed by God. They passionately love each other. Next to their relationship with Jesus Christ, family comes second, which includes six awesome grandchildren and a dog named Moose.