The Rev. John Bill Burnett, husband to Sarah Sue Burnett, died at the age of 84 in Covington’s Piedmont Newton Hospital on January 17, 2021 after a short illness. 

Born May 23, 1936 in Spartanburg, SC to the late Jesse Woodrow Burnett and Myrtle West Burnett, he is brother to siblings Wayne Burnett of Inman, Mrs. Freida Wall of Boiling Springs, and the late Bobby Burnett of Spartanburg. He is also survived by three children, Billy Burnett of Charleston, SC, Darrel Burnett of Nahunta, GA and Belinda Rowe of Covington, GA; with 22 grand-children and 22 great-grandchildren.

Reverend Burnett was ordained to the Gospel Ministry in October of 1971 by the Travis Avenue Baptist Church of Ft. Worth, TX and completed his theological studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in July of 1974. He held pastorate positions at Wheatland Baptist in Ft. Worth, Anderson Dr. Baptist in Jesup, GA and County Line Baptist in Covington before going on to plant the Harvest Baptist Church, also in Covington, where he first retired from ministry. Coming out of retirement, he then went on staff as an Associate Pastor at First Baptist of Social Circle, spent two years on the mission field in Nova Scotia for the North American Mission Board and then on to his last position as Associate Pastor at the Berean Baptist Church of Social Circle.

A celebration of his life will be held on January 30, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. at the Berean Baptist Church for those desiring to honor his love of the ministry and passion for caring for widows, orphans and poor.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to the Berean Baptist Missions Fund at Berean Baptist Church, PO Box 866, Social Circle, GA 30025.