Fred Barlow

Fred Barlow

3 Sermons|1 Images
Fred Barlow (May 23, 1922 – October 12, 1983) was an American preacher, evangelist, and author whose ministry within the Baptist tradition focused on soul-winning and Sunday school revitalization across three decades. Born in Beckley, West Virginia, to a coal-mining family, he grew up in the rugged hills of southeastern West Virginia, shaped by a conversion at age 17 that redirected him from delinquency to faith. He graduated from Baptist Bible Seminary (now Baptist Bible College) in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, and later received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Western Baptist Bible College in Salem, Oregon. Barlow’s preaching career began in the 1940s, marked by evangelistic campaigns, multi-church Sunday school conferences, and addresses at Bible colleges and youth rallies, often under the Sword of the Lord banner alongside John R. Rice, whom he later biographed. His sermons, several prize-winners in contests, emphasized revival and practical Christian living, preserved in books like Profiles in Evangelism, Revival for Survival, and John R. Rice: A Giant of Evangelism. Based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he ministered nationwide, leaving an indelible mark on local churches and summer Bible camps. Married to Geraldine, with whom he had four children—David, Daniel, Deborah, and Donna—he died at age 61 in Chattanooga after a battle with illness.
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