Dies Frank Barker Jr., Founding Member of the Presbyterian Church in America

The founding pastor of one of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) emblematic congregations, who would turn 90 this month, died on December 27th. According to his daughter, Peggy Barker Townes, he led around 10,000 people to Christ and discipled countless numbers in Birmingham, around Alabama, and across the Southeast.

“He modeled and motivated the PCA to be passionately committed to the Great Commission, the basic work of evangelism and discipleship. He was an excellent example of being a true church member with a heart of the Kingdom,” said Harry Reeder, who succeeded Barker in Briarwood.

Barker founded Briarwood Presbyterian Church in a suburb of Birmingham, and grew it into a congregation of more than 4,000 members when he retired in 1999, making it to one of Alabama’s first megachurches and a great example of the PCA’s commitment to evangelism.

According to Christianity Today, in 1960, the Presbyterian Church of the USA, commonly known as the Southern Presbyterian Church, asked Barker to start a congregation in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.

The new suburb only had about 4,000 people at the time, but it grew by more than 200% in the next decade, as Birmingham became a center of civil rights struggles. Barker was not known for his preaching, but the church continued to draw crowds, and he continued to emphasize the importance of evangelism.

When conservatives gathered in Macon, Georgia , to write a “new statement of purpose” that “stressed the defense of faith reformed and emphasized the pre-Amazon policy at all costs”, Barker was one of the main speakers.

Later, representatives from 260 congregations decided to break up and form a new Conservative Presbyterian denomination, they met at Briarwood and Barker chaired the First General Assembly of what they then called the National Presbyterian Church. The pastor has also served on the missions committee and constitution committee.

Barker leaves his wife, Barbara; children Anita, Frank and Peggy; 14 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. He was buried at Alabama National Cemetery on Jan. 3, and his funeral is planned at Briarwood Presbyterian Church on Jan. 8.

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