Michael Barrett (theologian)
Encyclopedia
Michael Paul Vernon Barrett (born September 18, 1949) is president of Geneva Reformed Seminary
and an associate minister of Faith Free Presbyterian Church, Greenville, South Carolina
, a congregation of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America
. Converted to Christianity as a child, he was called to the Christian ministry early in his college career at Bob Jones University
. He earned his doctorate in Old Testament Text at BJU with a special focus on Semitic languages
. For almost thirty years, he was professor of Ancient Languages and Old Testament Theology and Interpretation at BJU.
Barrett assumed the presidency of Geneva Reformed Seminar in the fall of 2000. In the 2009 GRS bulletin, Barrett emphasized that the seminary should connect "head and heart—the intellect and devotion" and that the seminary should have an "unapologetic and uncompromising commitment to a Reformed theology that is Christ-centered, biblical, evangelistic, and separatist."
Formerly a member of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, Barrett helped to establish the Free Presbyterian Church in the United States during the late 1970s and 1980s and served for many years under the Rev. Dr. Alan Cairns
in the Greenville assembly. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society
and the author of a half dozen books and numerous articles in both professional and popular religious journals.
In 2002, the conservative Baptist Bulletin recommended Barrett's Beginning at Moses to counter what it believed to be a common ignorance of Christ's presence in the Old Testament. Of Barrett's Love Divine and Unfailing, Joel Beeke of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary
has written that it "is a clear, honest, panoramic treatment of the book of Hosea....a masterpiece in expounding God’s loving and gracious covenant [and] a sheer delight to read." In 2009 R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
listed the book as "as one of the ten books every preacher should read this year."
Barrett and his wife, Sandra, have two sons and five grandchildren. He is an avid hunter.
Geneva Reformed Seminary
Geneva Reformed Seminary is a small theological school in Greenville, South Carolina accredited by the federally unrecognized Association of Reformed Theological Seminaries and supported by the Free Presbyterian Church of North America. The seminary offers a B.D. and an M.Div...
and an associate minister of Faith Free Presbyterian Church, Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
, a congregation of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America
Free Presbyterian Church of North America
The Free Presbyterian Church of North America or FPCNA is a Presbyterian denomination in the United States and Canada with mission works in Liberia, Jamaica, and Kenya...
. Converted to Christianity as a child, he was called to the Christian ministry early in his college career at Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
. He earned his doctorate in Old Testament Text at BJU with a special focus on Semitic languages
Semitic languages
The Semitic languages are a group of related languages whose living representatives are spoken by more than 270 million people across much of the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa...
. For almost thirty years, he was professor of Ancient Languages and Old Testament Theology and Interpretation at BJU.
Barrett assumed the presidency of Geneva Reformed Seminar in the fall of 2000. In the 2009 GRS bulletin, Barrett emphasized that the seminary should connect "head and heart—the intellect and devotion" and that the seminary should have an "unapologetic and uncompromising commitment to a Reformed theology that is Christ-centered, biblical, evangelistic, and separatist."
Formerly a member of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, Barrett helped to establish the Free Presbyterian Church in the United States during the late 1970s and 1980s and served for many years under the Rev. Dr. Alan Cairns
Alan Cairns (clergyman)
Alan G. Cairns is a Bible teacher, retired pastor, and author. A native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, he was converted to Christianity through The Salvation Army. He joined the nascent Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster as a teenager...
in the Greenville assembly. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society
Evangelical Theological Society
The Evangelical Theological Society is a professional society of Biblical scholars, educators, pastors, and students with the stated purpose of serving Jesus and his church by advancing evangelical scholarship. It was established in 1949 in Cincinnati. The number of members in 2005 was over 4,200...
and the author of a half dozen books and numerous articles in both professional and popular religious journals.
In 2002, the conservative Baptist Bulletin recommended Barrett's Beginning at Moses to counter what it believed to be a common ignorance of Christ's presence in the Old Testament. Of Barrett's Love Divine and Unfailing, Joel Beeke of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary
Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary
The Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary is a conservative Calvinist seminary located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The seminary's self-stated distinctive among Reformed seminaries in North America is a focus on experiential preaching and teaching. PRTS is the official seminary of the Heritage...
has written that it "is a clear, honest, panoramic treatment of the book of Hosea....a masterpiece in expounding God’s loving and gracious covenant [and] a sheer delight to read." In 2009 R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Mohler's approach to Muslims is driven by his belief in the relevance of the Christian Gospel to all people.-Media appearances:Mohler appeared on MSNBC's Donahue on August 20, 2002. The subject was Christian evangelization of Jews...
listed the book as "as one of the ten books every preacher should read this year."
Barrett and his wife, Sandra, have two sons and five grandchildren. He is an avid hunter.
Books
- Beginning at Moses: A Guide to Finding Christ in the Old Testament (Ambassador-Emerald International, 1999)
- Complete in Him: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying the Gospel (Ambassador-Emerald International, 2000)
- God’s Unfailing Purpose: The Message of Daniel (Ambassador-Emerald International (2003)
- The Beauty of Holiness: A Guide to Biblical Worship (Ambassador-Emerald International, 2006)
- Love Divine and Unfailing: The Gospel According to Hosea (P & R Publishing, 2008)
- The Hebrew Handbook (BJU PressBJU PressBJU Press , founded in 1973, publishes textbooks for the Christian school and home school movements as well as trade and children's books.-History:...
, 4th ed., 1994)