Burney Enzor has “retired from a full-time pastorate, but not from full-time ministry.”
The soon to be 66-year-old pastor celebrated his retirement from Antioch East Baptist Church, Greenville, March 2.
And while he has had some months to settle into being retired, he has done anything but slow down.
“I announced my retirement three months early,” Enzor said. “I took every preaching and revival opportunity I could.”
Enzor explained that while he felt the Lord’s leading that it was time to retire, he did not feel it was time to quit preaching.
So retirement for him means he has more time to preach while also spending more time with his 12 grandchildren. “I did not want to wind up having missed the childhoods of my grandchildren,” he said.
Enzor has spent a total of 47 years as a pastor of various churches in Alabama and Florida, beginning with Crenshaw County’s Patsburg and New Harmony Baptist churches in 1955 at the age of 18.
Enzor also served on various committees of the State Boards of Missions (SBOM) of both states. Currently, he is serving on the Alabama Baptist SBOM Christian life commission and also working on a mentoring project with Ed Jenkins, director of the SBOM’s office of leadership/church growth.
Enzor said denominational work has always been important to him. “I like serving with the denomination, and I’ll serve as long as they ask me to,” he said.
As well as serving the people of Alabama as a Southern Baptist, Enzor also served his country as a chaplain for 30 years in the Army National Guard.
He retired in 1997 from the post of deputy chief of chaplains after achieving the rank of brigadier general. During his years of service he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious service Medal and the Army Achievement Medal.
Since retiring from East Antioch, the Troy native has returned to his roots and moved back to the southeast town with his wife, Jeanell. They have settled into their new home, but have yet to find a home church.
“I’ve not had a Sunday when I haven’t preached,” Enzor said with a laugh. “But I need to find a church home, because Antioch will get a new pastor and I can’t leave my membership there to annoy him,” he noted jokingly.
Although he is staying busy, Enzor said it has been a relief to wake up and follow the Lord’s direction for the day instead of facing a list of responsibilities that have to be done.
“I used to dread the phone ringing,” Enzor said. “Now I look forward to answering it because it might be someone asking me to preach.”
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