Introduction to SFM and Coach Burnette

Soul Fitness Ministries, Inc. is led by Coach Burnette who has around twenty years of work experience within the kingdom of God. He has his B.S. in Health, Physical Education and Sport Studies, and a masters in Divinity. He’s taught K-8th grade P.E., coached middle school sports, has been on mission trips to Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala, Costa Rica, before going to the Holy Land during his last seminary class. There, he spent 80 days touring, and helping out with various ministries such as, SERVE NAZARETH, Abundant Hope International, LOVE Into Action, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. This led to a few days in Poland as well, and then back to the United States.

During seminary, he started writing books, such as ‘Bearing Fruit: The Abundant Life God Provides,’ ‘The United Spirit Motivation: Igniting All Believers To Engage In True Life; Jesus Christ,’ ‘The World Revival Prayer Guide,’ and ‘Soul Fitness 4 Kids.’ Following seminary, he continued to write books and curriculum for Soul Fitness Ministries, and worked with a missions agency in the US and abroad in Brazil. Afterwards, in 2018, he helped with a Suzuki Montessori School, and start up school in Dunwoody, GA. In 2019, he met the Principal of the Cumberland Christian Academy on Memorial Day along the Chattahoochee River. Shortly after, he was hired and taught a variety of courses for 7-12th grade students. Some of the courses were World Religions, History of the Church, Apologetics, Ethics, Christian Relationships, Health, Weight Training and Physical Education. This is the school that the Kendrick brothers parents started in Mableton, Georgia. (Think of movies such as War Room, Facing the Giants, Flywheel, Overcomer, and Courageous.) This is also the summer that he met Bernadette Sayre, who would later become his wife in April 2023.

In 2021, Mr. Burnette was led to start Soul Fitness Ministries, Inc. as a non-profit, instead of continuing to teach. This led him to Front Royal, Virginia, his wife’s hometown, where he started working with Seton Home Study School, and leading Soul Fitness 4 Kids courses. In 2022, he also led Soul Fitness Christmas Music Event at nearly a dozen retirement facilities in Northern Virginia. In April 2023, Stephen and Bernadette got married in the St. Mary’s Chapel at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, went on their honeymoon, and tried heading out to California, only to have the smoke from the fires in Canada, blanket a portion of the United States with very unhealthy air quality that they drove away from, further East! God had other plans in mind for their first couple years of marriage, and they settled in Virginia Beach, after accepting a youth ministry job. It was during this time that they had their first son. Also, Stephen officially published over a dozen books that he wrote over the past decade. And in early 2025, their military Catholic landlords were restationed back to the area.

The Burnette’s re-discerned the call to California, and decided to follow God, selling almost all their possessions, and downsizing, again, to have their items fit in their car and camper shell. They traveled through Pennsylvania, Cleveland Ohio, Chicago, and to the Twin Cities before there were more fires in Canada that produced heavy smoke, causing them to travel several hours south one day, to Des Moines, Iowa, before continuing West to Omaha, Lincoln, NE, Cheyenne, WY, Salt Lake City, and then all the way to Sacramento, CA. The journey obviously was filled with wonderful people, challenging times, and ministry opportunities almost daily. After Sacramento, they prayerfully moved on to Los Angeles, driving through Santa Barbara, and Malibu to get there, on Fathers Day, 2025.