Burton W. Barber (1918–1996)

He was baptized into Christ in 1929 at the age of 11 by his uncle Errett Barber. His formal education for the preaching ministry began in 1938 (the same year as his ordination) when he was among the first students to enroll in Ozark Christian College when it was located at St. Joe, Arkansas. As a 20-year-old student, he and Kenneth Holsinger became known as "the Hiking Ozark Mountain Missionaries." In 1939 he enrolled in Christian Normal Institute in Grayson, Kentucky (later called Kentucky Christian College). He completed his formal education when he graduated from San Jose Christian College in 1946.

His preaching ministry, which "started out among the anti-instrument people," spanned 58 years and included serving churches in Arkansas (Gentry), Missouri (Blendville), Iowa (Ottumwa, Centerville, Sigourney), Puerto Rico (San Juan, 1965-68, 1980-86), Minnesota (Fridley), Florida (Lakeland, Lake Alfred), Massachusetts (Northboro) and Virginia (Galax). During these years he also conducted scores of revival meetings all across the country and spoke on many rallies (Centerville, Rushville, Troutdale, Sacramento, San Jose, Coos Bay, Gering, Lexington, Cozad, Hamburg, Colorado Springs, Orlando and many other places).

Brother Barber was equally well known as a writer, having authored (or co-authored) over 15 books and booklets, besides designing many teaching charts and writing numerous articles for The Voice of Evangelism, which he co-founded in 1946.

He was also co-founder (with Donald G. Hunt and James R. McMorrow) of Midwestern School of Evangelism in 1947 and taught there for 17 years. Later he taught college classes in Florida, Puerto Rico and Massachusetts also.