COLUMN: Think Again – Pastor Barber made a difference

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/10/2020 (1647 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In 1907, Calvary Temple was founded under the leadership of Winnipeg businessman A. H. Argue. His son, Watson Argue, later became the pastor and led the church during the 1940s and early 1950s.

After Argue moved on, the rapidly growing church needed to find a new pastor who could take Calvary Temple to the next level. They took a chance on a young pastor named H. H. Barber. My grandparents, Isaac and Katherine Fehr, were present at Pastor Barber’s first sermon in 1953.

The congregation must have liked what they heard—Pastor Barber remained lead pastor until his retirement in 1997.

Throughout his time as pastor, Calvary Temple expanded into radio and television. Thousands of viewers tuned in weekly to hear Faith to Live By, a television show where Pastor Barber encouraged people to “gather around with an open Bible.” He continued preaching until just a couple years ago.

Last week, Pastor Barber passed away at the age of 98. He leaves behind a larger than life legacy. Tributes from around the world have been pouring in about how he impacted the lives of so many.

I have many fond memories of Pastor Barber. My grandparents ran a gift shop in the hamlet of Glenlea and faithfully attended Calvary Temple for nearly 50 years. This meant that whenever I visited them, we went to Calvary Temple on Sunday morning. Even as a young boy, Pastor Barber’s sermons made a powerful impression on me.

Among my family, I quickly learned that virtually any theological dispute could be settled with the words “Pastor Barber says…” It was an uphill battle indeed if anyone presumed to challenge Pastor Barber’s interpretation of the Bible!

Pastor Barber knew my family well. Not only did my grandparents attend Calvary Temple for many years, my parents got married in that church. Pastor Barber conducted my grandmother’s funeral in 1993 and attended my grandfather’s funeral in 2001. I only met Pastor Barber personally a few times but each of those times was memorable.

Several years ago, I heard that Pastor Barber was speaking at a conference in Winnipeg. Knowing that this would likely be my last opportunity to hear him speak, I decided to attend the conference. I’m glad that I did. Even though he was well into his 90s, he preached from the Bible just as effectively as ever. His sermon was both moving and impactful.

However, it’s one thing to preach a sermon every week, it’s another thing entirely to put your words into action. Fortunately, Pastor Barber lived by the high standards he preached. Throughout his decades of ministry, there was never any hint of sexual or financial impropriety. His reputation was spotless.

Every year I invite representatives from the Humanists, Atheists, and Agnostics of Manitoba (HAAM) to speak to my World Religions students at school. One of those HAAM representatives used to attend Calvary Temple many years ago. While he obviously left the faith later in life, he had nothing but good things to say about Pastor Barber. He recognized that Pastor Barber was a man of integrity and always appreciated that about him.

No doubt Pastor Barber faced many challenges throughout his decades of ministry. It isn’t easy to lead the same church for more than 40 years, particularly in the heart of downtown Winnipeg. But he felt called to lead Calvary Temple and believed it was important for the church to remain downtown so that it would be accessible to as many people as possible.

Pastor H. H. Barber made a huge difference in the lives of many people. He will be missed.

 

Michael Zwaagstra is a high school teacher and a Steinbach city councillor. He can be reached at mzwaagstra@shaw.ca.