Cordas C. Burnett was born in Mounds, Ill., February 6, 1911. He grew up in Granite City, Ill. As a young man he felt the call of God upon his life for service, and began to preach as a teenager. He married Dorothy Talley in 1937 and they had two daughters, Barbara Hughes and Marilyn Abplanalp.

His pastoral ministry began in 1935. In 1948 he began teaching at Central Bible College, Springfield, Mo., where he later served as Vice-President. The Assemblies of God appointed him National Secretary of Education in 1958, before he became President of Bethany Bible College, Santa Cruz, Calif. When the AG Graduate School (now AGTS) opened its doors in 1973, Dr. Burnett served as Executive Vice-President , a position he held until his death in 1975.