He is married to Brenda Barker, and together they have raised eleven children. Their family is a little “United Nations,” because each of their children has been adopted from another country—India, China, Latvia, Vietnam, Ethiopia, and the Philippines. Ken has served in various church leadership roles, including Deacon, Sunday School teacher, Home Group leader, Area Pastor for Home Groups, Men’s Group leader, Pianist, and Worship Specialist.
Ken Barker earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from West Texas A&M University in Canyon, and a Master of Music Education degree from the University of North Texas in Denton. His performing instruments are piano and trumpet. While in college Ken dedicated his life to serving the Christian music world. In his 42 ½ combined years working at Word Music and Lifeway Worship he served as Associate or Project Editor for four major hymnals and has had hundreds of arrangements and compositions published. His songs have been recorded by Sandi Patty, Cimorelli, and others. He also arranged eight best-selling easy and intermediate solo piano collections. He has been nominated for nine Dove Awards, winning one in 2003.
Ken Barker chronicles his journey of building a family through adoption in his book, Coming Home.
This PDF book chronicles the journeys to adopt our children, and when they were grown, to revisit their countries of origin, and for some to reconnect with their birth mothers and families. It also includes Sam’s double battle with childhood leukemia, and other family stories and anecdotes. You will feel and experience what we did like you were there—the extreme highs and lows, the nearly impossible challenges, the raw emotions, and yet the deliverance, mercy, and faithfulness of God.
