Bart Barber
Bart Barber has served FBC Farmersville since 1999. He is married to Tracy (Brady) Barber. Together they have two children. Bart is a native of Lake City, Ark., where his parents had him in church before he was born. God saved him at the tender age of almost-six, called him to preach when he was eleven, allowed him to preach his first sermon (such as it was) when he was fifteen, and permitted him to serve as a pastor of a church when he was a senior in high school. Bart has a B.A. from Baylor University in their University Scholars program, an M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and a Ph.D. in Church History also from Southwestern. For his dissertation he wrote about a denominational split among Arkansas Baptists in 1902, suggesting that they all should've gotten along with one another.
June 14, 2023: Religion News Service: Ouster of Saddleback and Fern Creek from SBC over women pastors is affirmed
Newly reelected SBC President Bart Barber appeared before the outcome of the votes were announced to urge an appropriate response. “I believe in the sanctity of marriage, but I know sometimes in our churches people wind up in biblical divorce,” he said. “But we don’t throw divorce parties at our church, OK?”
Newly reelected SBC President Bart Barber appeared before the outcome of the votes were announced to urge an appropriate response. “I believe in the sanctity of marriage, but I know sometimes in our churches people wind up in biblical divorce,” he said. “But we don’t throw divorce parties at our church, OK?”
June 4, 2023: Kentucky Today: SBC presidential candidates hold variety of views on looming issues
Bart Barber, current president of the Southern Baptist Convention, tweeted May 3 that he would be unable to participate this year in panel discussions, Q&As and podcasts leading up to the SBC Annual Meeting. In order to provide fair coverage of both known presidential candidates, The Baptist Paper reviewed social media and previous interviews to compile a few of Barber’s responses to some of the pressing issues facing the SBC.
Bart Barber, current president of the Southern Baptist Convention, tweeted May 3 that he would be unable to participate this year in panel discussions, Q&As and podcasts leading up to the SBC Annual Meeting. In order to provide fair coverage of both known presidential candidates, The Baptist Paper reviewed social media and previous interviews to compile a few of Barber’s responses to some of the pressing issues facing the SBC.
May 19, 2023: Only Sky: The Southern Baptist Convention had its worst EVER membership drop in 2022
Interestingly, this letter is not signed by any Executive Committee members—except for Willie McLaurin, its Interim President. Since the list is arranged alphabetically, he appears near the end. Drowning out his name, we see various other big-name Southern Baptist officers: seminary presidents, missionary organization presidents, the president of their financial planning group, leaders of important groups like Lifeway, and even the president of the Southern Baptist Convention himself, Bart Barber.
Interestingly, this letter is not signed by any Executive Committee members—except for Willie McLaurin, its Interim President. Since the list is arranged alphabetically, he appears near the end. Drowning out his name, we see various other big-name Southern Baptist officers: seminary presidents, missionary organization presidents, the president of their financial planning group, leaders of important groups like Lifeway, and even the president of the Southern Baptist Convention himself, Bart Barber.
April 18, 2023: Baptist Press: SBC leaders, former presidents react to death of Charles Stanley
“When cable TV came to Lake City, Arkansas, Charles Stanley entered my home. When I started to collect books as a teenaged preacher, he entered my library. I saw him lead our Convention as SBC president. I heard him preach in chapel at Southwestern Seminary. Is there any part of the SBC that does not bear the mark of his influence? On behalf of Southern Baptists, I extend our gratitude to God for Charles Stanley, and I offer our condolences to his family, his friends, and the First Baptist Church of Atlanta.”--Bart Barber, SBC president
“When cable TV came to Lake City, Arkansas, Charles Stanley entered my home. When I started to collect books as a teenaged preacher, he entered my library. I saw him lead our Convention as SBC president. I heard him preach in chapel at Southwestern Seminary. Is there any part of the SBC that does not bear the mark of his influence? On behalf of Southern Baptists, I extend our gratitude to God for Charles Stanley, and I offer our condolences to his family, his friends, and the First Baptist Church of Atlanta.”--Bart Barber, SBC president
Bart Barber, a country pastor who also happens to be the sitting president of the Southern Baptist Convention, began his Tuesday (Nov. 29) as he does most days, with prayer and feeding his cows.
Before the day was out he would take the rare step of denouncing one of his predecessors.
“I would permanently ‘defrock’ Johnny Hunt if I had the authority to do so,” Barber, who leads a church in Farmersville, Texas, said in a statement released Tuesday.
Hunt, who served as president of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination from 2008 to 2010, stepped aside from public ministry in May after allegations that he had sexually assaulted another pastor’s wife were made public. Then, last week, a group of pastors announced that Hunt has been restored to ministry, less than six months after Southern Baptists passed a series of reforms designed to address a sex abuse crisis. --SBC President Bart Barber Says Predecessor Johnny Hunt is Unfit to Return to Ministry 12.1.22
Before the day was out he would take the rare step of denouncing one of his predecessors.
“I would permanently ‘defrock’ Johnny Hunt if I had the authority to do so,” Barber, who leads a church in Farmersville, Texas, said in a statement released Tuesday.
Hunt, who served as president of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination from 2008 to 2010, stepped aside from public ministry in May after allegations that he had sexually assaulted another pastor’s wife were made public. Then, last week, a group of pastors announced that Hunt has been restored to ministry, less than six months after Southern Baptists passed a series of reforms designed to address a sex abuse crisis. --SBC President Bart Barber Says Predecessor Johnny Hunt is Unfit to Return to Ministry 12.1.22
Bart Barber Files
“I think it is unjust, unnecessary, and unwise to include in abortion laws the prosecution of women who seek or obtain an abortion. The abortionist is the murderer, and any law banning abortion should identify the abortionist uniquely as such.”
-Bart Barber; SBC President; Sept 25, 2022
Nov 30, 2022: The Tennessean: Leaders denounce former SBC president Johnny Hunt’s return to ministry amid abuse allegations
- In May, allegations emerged of sexual assault against former SBC president Johnny Hunt.
- Hunt and four Southern Baptist pastors recently announced Hunt will return to ministry after "restoration" process.
- SBC President Bart Barber: "I would permanently 'defrock' Johnny Hunt if I had the authority to do so."