Peter Barnes (minister)
Encyclopedia
Peter Barnes is an Australia
n author, speaker, lecturer, missionary and currently the pastor
of Revesby Presbyterian Church in Revesby, New South Wales
, Australia
. He is the author of several works and books, including multiple biblical commentaries
; books on church history
, theological liberalism
and other Christian
issues.
, he achieved a Bachelor of Divinity
, Diploma of Education
, Master of Arts
with Honours
and a Doctor of Theology
.
He originally taught high school
English and History before going into the ministry in 1980. Barnes and his family initially moved as missionaries to Vanuata where he taught at the Presbyterian Bible College at Tangoa for three years. Moving back to Australia in 1984 he was placed at Nambucca Heads
on the New South Wales
north coast where he served as pastor of the Nambucca Heads Presbyterian Church for over sixteen years. While in Nambucca he helped set up the Nambucca Valley Christian Community School in 1991 originally serving as Chairman of the Board
; he also began teaching Church History at the Presbyterian Theological Centre
in 1985.
During the New South Wales school corporal punishment debate in the 1990's he was a strong advocate for its continued application and use in the Christian school environment, stating there was biblical justification for its use and comparing the legislation
to ban it "like Germany in 1935, not NSW in 1997". Since the successful legislation was introduced prohibiting its use in schools he has continued to voice his support for its use in the home and questioned whether it has achieved any positive effect within school life.
In 2000 Dr Barnes moved back to Sydney and took up as pastor at Revesby Presbyterian Church, where he still maintains the role today. He still lectures in Church History at the Presbyterian Theological Centre, frequently authors biblical commentaries, books and also contributes to several publications each year including a monthly article in the Presbyterian Pulse magazine, and is a regular contributor to Creation Ministries International
releases. He currently serves as the Presbyterian chaplain
at the University of Western Sydney
.
Since moving back to Sydney he has been critical in public on his views regarding the ethics in schools program, liberal christianity in the church and abortion along with support for teaching pro-life campaigns in schools.
He is married to Lyn and has six adult children and one grandchild.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n author, speaker, lecturer, missionary and currently the pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of Revesby Presbyterian Church in Revesby, New South Wales
Revesby, New South Wales
Revesby, a suburb of local government area City of Bankstown, is located 22 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and is a part of the South-western Sydney region....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He is the author of several works and books, including multiple biblical commentaries
Exegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
; books on church history
History of Christianity
The history of Christianity concerns the Christian religion, its followers and the Church with its various denominations, from the first century to the present. Christianity was founded in the 1st century by the followers of Jesus of Nazareth who they believed to be the Christ or chosen one of God...
, theological liberalism
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
and other Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
issues.
Career
Rev Dr Barnes obtained his degrees and qualifications from the University of SydneyUniversity of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, he achieved a Bachelor of Divinity
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
, Diploma of Education
Diploma of Education
The Diploma of Education, often abbreviated to DipEd or GradDipEd, is a postgraduate qualification offered in many Commonwealth countries including Australia, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom...
, Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
with Honours
Honors student
An honors student is a person recognized for achieving high grades or high marks in their course work.Honors students may refer to# Students recognized for their academic achievement on lists published periodically throughout the school year, known as honor rolls, varying from school to school, and...
and a Doctor of Theology
Doctor of Theology
Doctor of Theology is a terminal academic degree in theology. It is a research degree that is considered by the U.S. National Science Foundation to be the equivalent of a Doctor of Philosophy....
.
He originally taught high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
English and History before going into the ministry in 1980. Barnes and his family initially moved as missionaries to Vanuata where he taught at the Presbyterian Bible College at Tangoa for three years. Moving back to Australia in 1984 he was placed at Nambucca Heads
Nambucca Heads, New South Wales
Nambucca Heads is a town on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia in Nambucca Shire. It is a holiday and retirement centre located on a ridge north of the estuary of the Nambucca River near the Pacific Highway, which now bypasses it. Its 2006 population was 6,137, including 445 ...
on the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
north coast where he served as pastor of the Nambucca Heads Presbyterian Church for over sixteen years. While in Nambucca he helped set up the Nambucca Valley Christian Community School in 1991 originally serving as Chairman of the Board
Chairman of the Board
The Chairman of the Board is a seat of office in an organization, especially of corporations.Chairman of the Board may also refer to:*Chairman of the Board , a 1998 film*Chairmen of the Board , a 1970s American soul music group...
; he also began teaching Church History at the Presbyterian Theological Centre
Presbyterian Theological Centre
The Presbyterian Theological Centre is the theological college of the Presbyterian Church of Australia in New South Wales. It provides theological education for candidates of the ministry and members of the laity, and is an approved teaching institution of the Australian College of Theology.The...
in 1985.
During the New South Wales school corporal punishment debate in the 1990's he was a strong advocate for its continued application and use in the Christian school environment, stating there was biblical justification for its use and comparing the legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
to ban it "like Germany in 1935, not NSW in 1997". Since the successful legislation was introduced prohibiting its use in schools he has continued to voice his support for its use in the home and questioned whether it has achieved any positive effect within school life.
In 2000 Dr Barnes moved back to Sydney and took up as pastor at Revesby Presbyterian Church, where he still maintains the role today. He still lectures in Church History at the Presbyterian Theological Centre, frequently authors biblical commentaries, books and also contributes to several publications each year including a monthly article in the Presbyterian Pulse magazine, and is a regular contributor to Creation Ministries International
Creation Ministries International
Creation Ministries International is a non-profit young Earth creationist organisation of autonomous Christian apologetics ministries that promote a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis...
releases. He currently serves as the Presbyterian chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
at the University of Western Sydney
University of Western Sydney
The University of Western Sydney, also known as UWS, is a multi-campus university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
Since moving back to Sydney he has been critical in public on his views regarding the ethics in schools program, liberal christianity in the church and abortion along with support for teaching pro-life campaigns in schools.
He is married to Lyn and has six adult children and one grandchild.
Debates
Barnes is a Christian polemicist and has participated in a number of public debates on various issues over the years.- On 23 October 2010, Barnes debated MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
apologist Mustafa Arja at Wiley Park Muslim Prayer Hall in Sydney, New South Wales, on the topic 'Who is the Real Jesus?'. - On 27 June 2011, Barnes debated CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
apologist Tim Staples at the Blacktown City Council Civic Centre in Blacktown, New South WalesBlacktown, New South WalesBlacktown is a suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Blacktown is located 34 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of City of Blacktown.Blacktown is the largest...
on the validity of the EucharistEucharistThe Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
and whether it was real or symbolic. - On 8 October 2011, Barnes again debated Muslim apologist Mustafa Arja at Revesby Presbyterian Church in Revesby, New South WalesRevesby, New South WalesRevesby, a suburb of local government area City of Bankstown, is located 22 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and is a part of the South-western Sydney region....
on the topic 'Was Mohammad a True Prophet of God?'.
Works
- The Milk of the Word: An Introduction to the Christian Faith (Banner Of Truth, 1985) ISBN 9780851514345
- The Gospel: Did Paul and Jesus Agree? (Evangelical Press, 1994) ISBN 9780852343258
- Knowing Where We Stand: The Message of John's Epistles (Evangelical Press, 1998) ISBN 9780852344149
- Theological Liberalism (Covenanter Press, 2003)
- Love Rules: 10 Commandments For The 21st Century (PTC Media, 2004) ISBN 9780851519579
- Both Sides Now: Ecclesiastes and the Human Condition (Banner Of Truth, 2004) ISBN 9780851518848
- Galations: A EPSC Study Commentary (Evangelical Press, 2006) ISBN 9780852346266
- Acts Thru 2 Corinthians: What about Church? (Barbour & Co, 2008) ISBN 1597897760
- A Handful of Pebbles: Theological Liberalism and the Church (Banner Of Truth, 2008) ISBN 0851519776
- Abortion: Open Your Mouth for the Dumb (Banner Of Truth, 2010) ISBN 1848710542
- John Calvin: Man of God's Word Written and Preached (Banner Of Truth, 2011) ISBN 1848711212