Rev. Burke Owens

Biography

Pastor Burke has been serving as pastor in the California Nevada Conference of the United Methodist Church for nearly   ten years. He began through a two-year internship at Napa United Methodist Church in 2013, was then appointed as a licensed local pastor in 2015 to Petaluma United Methodist Church, before appointment to St. Helena United Methodist Church in 2017. As of July 2023, he began a new appointment as Senior Pastor at Palo Alto First United Methodist Church. Burke was welcomed as an Elder and installed as Ordained Minister by Bishop Minerva Carcaño in 2018. He was awarded a Master of Divinity degree in 2017 from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley.

Prior to his call to ministry, Burke worked within and passionately enjoyed the wine, food and hospitality industries. His extensive experience in the producer, importer, wholesale, retail, restaurant, on-line and education arenas allowed Burke a unique and multi-disciplined understanding of the complexities inherent in the industry. Sales, marketing, public relations, media, compliance and logistics are among his talents, but it is communication about wine and food that was his true gift. A background in theater arts and an ability to clearly verbalize his passion for food and wine allowed him to share the wonders of the vine. Burke is particularly grateful for his time at Masa’s in SF, where as sommelier he was nominated for a James Beard Award, at COPIA in Napa, Continuum Estate in St. Helena, WINE.COM, the original on-line wine platform, and at Manka’s Inverness Lodge in West Marin.

Burke and Caroline have been married for 41 years and have two adult children, Rose (35) and Bryn (34). No grandchildren yet, but one never knows.

Burke grew up in New England and went to college in New York City. There he met Caroline  while both were studying experimental theater. Soon afterwards, they moved to a spiritual community in upstate New York, located in a former Shaker village. In addition, Burke has studied and engaged in the Sikh, Zen, Tibetan Buddhist, Hebrew, and Sufi orders faith traditions. He also is a lover of all types of music, art, film, literature, poetry and the natural world.

Burke’s call to spirit has been a core part of his life for decades and continues to inspire, motivate, and remind him of God’s grace, Christ’s love and the spirit’s continuing renewal of creation.