Bart Barber Explained

Bart Barber
Occupation:Pastor, Former President of the Southern Baptist Convention
Spouse:Tracy Barber
Education:Riverside High School 1988 Baylor University
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
(M. Div, Ph. D.)

Bart Barber is an American Southern Baptist pastor and conservative speaker. He is the former president of the Southern Baptist Convention (2022–2024).[1]

Education

As a teen, Barber attended Riverside High School in Lake City, Arkansas, graduating in 1988. He went on to complete undergraduate studies at Baylor University and then afterward receiving a Master of Divinity degree and PhD in Church History from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.[2]

Career

Since 1999, Barber has served as the pastor of First Baptist Church of Farmersville, TX, a Southern Baptist congregation of about 320 people.[3]

Barber was the chairman of the 2022 SBC Resolutions Committee and served on the 2021 committee. He was a featured speaker at the SBC Pastors’ Conference in 2017, was elected first vice president of the SBC (2013–2014). At the state level, he served on the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention executive board from (2008–2014) and was a trustee for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (2009–2019). He also previously taught as an adjunct professor at Southwestern (2006 through 2009).[4]

Barber was instrumental in the crafting of Texas HB 4345 in 2019[5] that indemnified churches of liability when sharing information about credible sexual abuse accusations. [6]

Southern Baptist Convention presidency

Barber served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest American Evangelical denomination for two terms. He was first elected in Anaheim, California at the 2022 Annual Meeting,[7] and ran for a second consecutive term at the 2023 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.[8] During his first term, he was featured in multiple news outlets speaking on behalf of the convention, including a wide-ranging interview with Anderson Cooper on CBS's news magazine 60 Minutes.[9]

Personal life

Barber resides in Farmersville, TX with his wife Tracy. [10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Southern Baptists reelect Bart Barber as president in win for mainstream conservatives. The Tennessean. 2023. 2023-07-17. Web site: Clint Pressley Elected SBC President in Indianapolis. The Baptist Messenger. 2024. 2024-06-14.
  2. Web site: Amid crises, rural roots anchor Southern Baptists’ president. Associated Press. 2023. 2023-07-18.
  3. Web site: Barber elected SBC president after runoff. Associated Press. 2022. 2023-07-18.
  4. Web site: An Interview with Bart Barber. Arkansas Baptist News. 2022. 2023-07-17.
  5. Web site: Texas HB4345 2019-2020 86th Legislature . 2024-04-22 . LegiScan . en.
  6. Web site: 2019 Texas law seen as a model to protect churches against sexual abuse predators. Christian Index. 2019. 2023-07-17.
  7. Web site: Barber elected SBC president after runoff. Baptist Press. 2022. 2023-07-17.
  8. Web site: Barber reelected SBC President. Baptist Press. 2023. 2023-07-17.
  9. Web site: Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber: The 60 Minutes Interview. Paramount Plus. 2022. 2023-07-17.
  10. Web site: 2022-05-04 . An interview with Bart Barber - Arkansas Baptist News . 2024-04-22 . arkansasbaptist.org . en-US.