R. L. Barney

The Bible was an open book in our home. My mother would gather us children around her knees and tell us about Heaven, and she would tell us about that place called Hell. She painted Heaven as a beautiful place, but she did not paint Hell as a good place. I made up my mind at a young age that I did not want to go to Hell. I am so thankful to the Lord for that upbringing.

I was a child who always wanted to do right. I didn’t drink. I didn’t smoke. People used to pat me on the back and say, “He’s a good boy,” but I thank God that He saw my need and sent conviction into my heart. Many times I would hide myself and weep, just wanting to do right. I did not know anything about holiness at that time. I did not even know there was such a thing as holiness, but still I wanted to do right.

Throughout my growing-up years I worked at several jobs. At the age of nine years, I was hired to plow fields with a blind horse. Later I worked at the railroad and then at the gravel pit. I thought that if I made plenty of money, perhaps that would satisfy me. I began prizefighting, and I was really into it. At that time, I was living in the State of Kentucky. I remember so well that when I left there to go to the State of Michigan, I had just one purpose in mind, and that was to be a professional boxer.

While I was there, a lady gave me an Apostolic Faith paper, and she said, “God wants you to live free from sin.”

I am so thankful to God that between amateur and professional boxing stood Jesus. At the age of twenty-one, I returned to my home state of Florida to be married. While I was there, a lady gave me an Apostolic Faith paper, and she said, “God wants you to live free from sin.” Well, I was the kind of person who, if you said a good boy did not do this or that, I would never do it. And if I had done it before, I would never do it again. I told the lady that if others could live without sin, I wanted to live that way too, so I gave my life to the Lord. At that time, I became a professional “prizefighter” for the Lord—a minister. I am so thankful for what God did for me.

The Lord allowed me to attend my first camp meeting in Portland, Oregon, in 1934. I remember that I did not have a job at the time, but I said, “I’m going.” It was not an easy trip. Brother and Sister Frazier and my wife and I made the 3000-mile trip together in a model T Ford, and we had to push it to get it started. Many times I had to sit on the front fender to hold the brushes in the generator to get it started.

We left Florida with $100, two jars of jelly, and a fried chicken lunch. Day after day, we knew what we were going to eat—bread with a little jelly—that was it. The trip was difficult, with several fl at tires along the way, but when we finally arrived in Portland, I fell on my knees and cried out to God, because something within me said, “You are home at last.” I was blessed to meet the founder of this work, Sister Florence Crawford, and many others who helped to establish this organization.

A little over eleven years ago, I was hit by a car that was traveling at about 45 miles an hour. I was alone at the time, and drifted in and out of consciousness, but God was with me. The doctors said it was just a matter of time before I died. My people gathered around me, also thinking I was going to die, but the Lord said, “Live on!” I was so broken up that the doctors waited sixteen days before operating on me—they were that sure that I was going to die. After they operated, they said I would never walk again, but I am walking!

This Gospel means everything to me. I am Apostolic from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. Surely, I thank God for His great blessings to me.‍

Brother Barney began ministering in Florida, later moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where he started a small Apostolic Faith work for the Lord. In 1935, he was made pastor of the work in Anniston, Alabama. He was a humble man and one of the patriarchs of the eastern region of the Apostolic Faith ministries. On February 15, 2000, after years of faithful service and leadership, Brother Barney went to be with Jesus. He fought a good fight, he finished his course, he kept the faith, and he has now gone on to receive his crown of righteousness.