Homegoing of Dr. Frank M. Barker, Jr. and Barbara B. Barker

Click Here to watch the full Celebration of Life Service that was held for Barbara B. Barker on Sunday, January 23. The digital Bulletin is available here.

Barbara B. Barker
March 26, 1936 – January 13, 2022

On January 13, 2022, the Lord called home to glory Barbara B. Barker.

On January 8, a Service of Celebration and Remembrance was held for Frank M. Barker, who was called home to be with the Lord on December 27, 2021. Just 17 days later, the Lord called home to glory and to be with Frank, Barbara. Praise the Lord in His kind providence!

Barbara was an amazing and unique woman of God. Her leadership, teaching, hospitality and creative gifts from God were distinctively and constantly on display in concert with Frank and his ministry. Barbara’s talents and gifts were prominently seen in the Briarwood Ballet where she pioneered the ministry in 1980 and served as founding director for over 40 years.

Please continue to pray for the Barker family and the large number of friends who have been impacted by Barbara’s ministry and life.

Click here to watch the full Remembrance Service celebrating God’s glorious blessings through Dr. Frank Barker’s life and ministry. This service was held Saturday, January 8 in the Worship Center. The digital bulletin for this service can be found here.

Dr. Frank Morehead Barker, Jr.
January 31, 1932 – December 27, 2021

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

The God of all glory and grace has providentially called home and into His presence Dr. Frank Morehead Barker, Jr., a choice servant of the Lord as a Gospel Minister, on December 27, 2021. Dr. Barker’s faithfulness, humility and visionary leadership will be missed, not only at Briarwood and the Presbyterian Church in America where he was vitally involved as a founding leader, but also in Christ’s Church throughout the world.

Please join us in prayer for Barbara, Frank’s vivacious and faithful wife and companion in life and ministry, as well as for his children and their families – daughter Anita and her husband Billy Barnes and their children; daughter Peggy and her husband Tim Townes and their children and grandchildren; and their son, Frank M. Barker III, his wife Pam and their children.

The Briarwood Presbyterian Church family invites you to join us in giving praise to God for Dr. Barker who was not only a leader throughout Christ’s Church and a founding leader of the PCA but most important of all, he was a Godly husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and a faithful Pastor with a servant’s heart.

Dr. Barker was the founding Pastor of Briarwood Presbyterian Church from its storefront beginnings in 1960. He was a faithful Pastor, Shepherd, Preacher and Leader for 40 years and then continued to bless Briarwood Church as Pastor Emeritus for the last 23 years. Though rightly noted for his humility he was also a man of great vision, persistent prayer with an unbounding confidence in Christ, his Lord and Savior. In a word, Frank loved the Christ who first loved him and “the love of Christ compelled him.” Therefore, Frank loved all that Christ loved – he loved His Word, he loved His Church, he loved the lost and he loved to live the Great Commandment and fulfill the Great Commission. One of the great evidences of his passionate love to Christ and His church is seen by the significant number of men and women who are now serving Christ and fulfilling the Great Commission throughout the world, including many men who have been called as pastors to the Gospel ministry and count Dr. Barker as an always-available mentor.

Much more can, should and will be said in the coming days but… but all that will be said must be said in the way that Frank would want us to say it is exemplified through the words of his favorite hymn – “To God be the Glory, great things He has done.”

Cindy and I, along with our family, join you and the entire Briarwood church family in praising God “from whom all blessings flow” for Dr. Frank M. Barker, Jr.

“and he gave some… as Pastors and Teachers” Ephesians 4:11

While I rejoice that Frank does not miss us as he stands in the glorious presence of our Savior, we miss him, yet rejoice for him who heard from His Savior, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”