Sub Menu contents

Dr. Mike

The Story of Michael Barrett
Seated in his office at Geneva Reformed Seminary, Greenville, South Carolina, Dr. Michael Barrett is surrounded by theological books, family photographs, and not a few reminders of his prowess as a deer hunter. Dr. Barrett, affectionately known as Mike to his family and many friends, serves as the president of the seminary and as the associate minister of Faith Free Presbyterian Church. He has lived in Greenville for over thirty years and views South Carolina as his home. But the Michael Barrett story begins much farther north in the city of Belleville in Michigan.

Born into a Christian home, the first of two children, he had the invaluable privilege of being introduced to the gospel at an early age. His father, a veteran of World War II, and his late mother made sure that their children were under the preaching of the word of God. The family attended Grace Baptist church in Belleville and both Mike and his sister, Connie, attended Sunday school and were active in all the youth programmes. That diligent approach to spiritual things was followed by the conversion of both Mike and his sister.

Mike’s early years at school were spent at Belleville High, where he showed an aptitude for formal debating. After he graduated in 1967, Mike’s parents felt it would be good for him to attend Bob Jones University (BJU) in South Carolina. It is a world-renowned Christian college, and while many students are prepared to travel thousands of miles to attend, the prospect of enrolling in BJU held no attraction for the 17-year-old Mike Barrett. After many debates and discussions with his parents, a compromise was reached. It was agreed that he would attend for one year, and then if he desired, he could leave and pursue his studies elsewhere. At the time, his ambition was to attend the University of Michigan and pursue his dream to become a criminal lawyer. The memories of the twelve-hour car journey from Michigan to South Carolina are still very vivid. Dr. Barrett recalls with a wry smile, “I didn’t speak a word and lay down on the back seat of the car the whole way.” It was probably the quietest time his mother ever had with him!

When he arrived on the BJU campus he was less than excited. His first impressions were not good, and he was expecting to endure, rather than enjoy the months of study that lay before him. However, Mike had not reckoned on the providence of God. As a young college student he sensed the call into the Christian ministry, but was unsure as to the exact details of that call. During his first year in Bob Jones University—where he majored in history and then changed to Bible—it became clear that God was calling him to pursue that ministerial call in the field of academics. On completing his undergraduate programme he continued to graduate school, earning a Master of Arts and then completing a Doctorate in Old Testament Text with a special focus on Semitic Languages. His dissertation was entitled “A Methodology for Investigating the Translation Philosophies and Techniques of the Septuagint.” During his graduate studies, he gained experience as a teaching assistant in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. One of his professors of that time said of him, “Mike was truly an excellent student. Some students are very smart, and some are very diligent, Mike was both!”

His years at Bob Jones University resulted in another key event in his life. While there, he met and later married Sandra White. Mike’s recollection is that it was “love at first sight.” He assured his roommate, “I’m going to marry the girl in the gold coat!”—a bold and somewhat presumptuous statement, considering he did not even know her name! Three years later he and Sandra did indeed marry, and they have been blessed with two sons, Chad and Charles. On completion of his studies, Dr. Barrett continued to teach at Bob Jones University and for almost thirty years served as professor of Ancient Languages and Old Testament Theology and Interpretation.

Although raised in a Baptist church, Mike’s study of God’s word had produced an increasing interest in Reformed theology and in the Presbyterian form of church government. While working at Bob Jones University he began attending a congregation of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, and, believing in the importance of church membership, he soon became active in that congregation. For several years he served as Sunday school teacher for the young adults. However, this was not to be a long-term affiliation. Dr. Barrett became aware of certain troubling issues in that church, and it soon became clear that God had somewhere else for him. In another part of Greenville, a group of some thirty people had separated from a Presbyterian church and were meeting in a little house. Through connections at BJU, Dr. Barrett was encouraged to attend. In fact, he preached on his first visit and almost by default became involved in the ministry of the fledgling congregation. Many long-standing friendships were made in those days as Dr. Barrett combined his university responsibilities with various preaching engagements. In 1977, this little congregation made contact with Dr. Ian Paisley, then moderator of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, and soon applied to become affiliated with the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster. Their request was granted, and as a result Dr. Barrett was introduced to the ministry of a Presbyterian church that was enjoying much of God’s blessing three thousand miles away in a different country. The association was to be owned of God and was to influence the direction of Dr. Barrett’s future service.

In 1980, the church, now known as Faith Free Presbyterian Church, appointed him as the associate minister of its thriving congregation, and for many years he served alongside the senior minister, Dr. Alan Cairns. By this time a theological training programme was in place for men who felt the call of God into the Free Presbyterian ministry, and for a number of years the burden of that work was carried by Dr. Cairns amidst many other pastoral responsibilities. It was an onerous task.

Towards the end of the 1990s God began to deal with Dr. Barrett regarding the future direction of his own ministry. He was content at the university. He was a popular, accomplished, respected, and capable professor. He enjoyed the daily interaction with his students. His classes were a highlight for many in the university, but Dr. Barrett could not deny the stirrings of God in his heart. For many months he wrestled with the thought of leaving Bob Jones University. Early one morning as he sat in his office he cried out to God, “I can’t take this anymore. I need to know today what your will is.” His scripture reading that day brought him to Deuteronomy 8 where God declared, “All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do.” Although hesitant to read further given his prayer, at once he realized what God was saying. A new door of service was about to be opened for him. When he relayed his decision to leave Bob Jones, the members of the North American Commission of the Free Presbyterian Church invited him to become the president of its theological seminary and spearhead the training of men for the gospel ministry. Believing this opportunity to be of God, Dr. Barrett indicated his willingness to accept the invitation and occupies the position to the present day. His final day at BJU was filled with mixed emotions. As a seventeen year old, he had not wanted to study there, but thirty-three years later as he cleared his office and closed the door for the final time, he wept.

On assuming his new position, Dr. Barrett immediately set about developing the already established curriculum. Under God he has been able to set in place a course of study that equals if not surpasses many larger theological seminaries. Geneva Reformed Seminary (GRS) has a programme of study that provides for Bachelor of Divinity and Master of Divinity degrees, and has recently added a Master of Religious Education. As Dr. Barrett reflects on the development of the seminary he observes, “GRS is committed to connecting orthodoxy and practice. Our motto is ‘Separated unto the Gospel.’ We believe that evangelical separation must pervade every sphere of ministry and life. Affirming the biblical, historic, Reformed, and Protestant faith, we believe that ecclesiastical separation from all forms of unbiblical ecumenism and personal separation from the vices of the world are the logical and necessary consequences of true Reformed theology. Given that so much of modern Christianity—even fundamental and evangelical segments—is either aberrant or eccentric, GRS with its unapologetic and uncompromising commitment to a Reformed theology that is Christ-centred, biblical, evangelistic, and separatist is crucial. It is our prayer that those who study at GRS will have a first-hand knowledge of God and the gospel coupled with a burning zeal for the glory of Christ and the advance of His kingdom.”

In addition to his duties as a member of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America and his responsibilities as the president of its seminary Dr. Barrett has published articles in both professional and popular journals. His published works include Beginning at Moses: A Guide to Finding Christ in the Old Testament; Complete in Him: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying the Gospel; God’s Unfailing Purpose: The Message of Daniel; The Beauty of Holiness: A Guide to Biblical Worship; Love Divine and Unfailing: The Gospel According to Hosea; and The Hebrew Handbook. He is presently working as co-editor with Dr. Joel Beeke on a King James Version study Bible. The significance of 2011 as the 400th anniversary of the 1611 edition is not lost on him. Dr. Barrett declares: “In a day when so much of public worship is defined by pressures from popular culture, it is imperative to promote and maintain in our worship a distinction, dignity, and reverence that directs our minds and hearts to the majesty and uniqueness of our God. The beauty and elegance of the Authorised Version (AV)—not to speak of its translation accuracy—contributes to our perceiving the matchlessness of God’s Word and to our worshipping the Lord in the beauty of holiness. There are solid arguments regarding the text, translation, and tradition of the AV that call for its continued use, and happily there are movements within the Reformed tradition to maintain its use. I want to focus on those solid arguments rather than emotional rhetoric in defence of the AV. I can defend the solid arguments; I cannot defend the rhetoric.”

Dr. Barrett continues to be a widely respected conference speaker. He has ministered in Singapore, Northern Ireland, Canada, and in many parts of the United States of America. He continues to assist in the preaching ministry at Faith Free Presbyterian church where he delights to illustrate scriptural truth by referring to his family life and his many hunting trips. At sixty-one years old, Dr. Barrett is a burdened man—burdened for the work of God and burdened for the training of young men for that work. It is over thirty years since God led him into the ministry of the Free Presbyterian Church and over ten years since he assumed the role of president in its seminary. It is his abiding prayer that God would raise up young men to preach the word and take the gospel to the nations of the world.