Pastor Burslie comes from Fertile, Minnesota. His home church is Concordia Lutheran Church where he was baptized, confirmed and ordained into the Lutheran ministry. He graduated from Fertile High School and attended Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota.

After graduating from college Bruce served two years as a short-term missionary at Deinzerhill, New Guinea where he was the only non-native for an area of 100 miles. Bruce returned from New Guinea to attend Luther Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota. While at seminary Bruce volunteered to serve in the United States Army Reserve. Following seminary, Bruce taught in a Lutheran School in Colombia, South America, where he met his wife, Yolanda. Returning to the United States, Bruce and Yolanda served a Lutheran Parish in Nekoma, North Dakota. Called to active duty, Bruce served 27 years as an Army chaplain with overseas tours in Panama and Germany.

A life long learner, Bruce received his Master Degree of Divinity from Luther Seminary, a Master of Science and Education from Long Island University, two Master of Theology Degrees from Princeton Seminary, and has post-graduate course work from Rutgers University, George Mason University and Oxford University.

Besides serving as an associate pastor at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Bruce is employed by the Department of Defense serving as assistant dean at the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington D. C. Bruce and Yolanda live in Burke, Virginia and have two married daughters, Kristina Culkin and Melissa Talbot.