Singer / songwriter Doug Barker has been writing Christian music since his conversion in his early 20's His music comes from a Biblical perspective as well as personal experiences.
For 5 years Doug had a Christian band that traveled 3-4 weekends per month playing churches, coffee houses, and festivals around North and South Carolina. In 2009 the members mutually decided to disband to pursue ministry in their own congregations where they were all involved with their worship teams. Doug has been worship leader for the contemporary service at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, SC. This was a contract position which ended in September 2012. The Air Force, due to financial cutbacks chose to discontinue this service. Doug is currently looking for a church to continue his worship leader activities. He is still actively accepting opportunities to do concerts at other churches, festivals and coffee houses.
It is the desire of Doug to edify, uplift and challenge the Body of Christ and to share the Gospel with those "pre Christians" who are still to be called to know Him.
Doug's music is for people of all ages. He is able to minister to the older as well as the youth. "I believe the youth of today should be addressed just as adults when sharing the Gospel. The truth of Jesus Christ is for all people of all ages."
A concert experience with Doug will be a time of praise, worship, and encouragement.
For booking information you can contact doug at: DOUGBARKERMUSIC@GMAIL.COM
THE MESSAGE BEHIND THE MUSIC. FOLLOWING ARE THE STORIES BEHIND SOME OF THE SONGS DOUG HAS WRITTEN.
The Magnificant (Mary's Song)
The Magnificant is simply the song of Mary the mother of Jesus taken from Luke 1:46-55. These are the words she sang when she realized she was to be the mother of Jesus her savior. I like to say I co-wrote this song with her as she wrote the first 2 versus and I wrote the 3rd verse, chorus and the music.
Trinity
The tune for the chorus is taken from a song by the band America called "World Of Light." The versus simply tells the Gospel story from creation to when Jesus comes back again.
Walk
Walk comes from Micah 6:6-8. I heard a sermon on these versus at the first church I was worship leader at. It comes from the truth of how the nation of Israel lived. They would follow God for a while. Then a prophet would come and reveal their sin. And again they would follow God. This is basically the story of the nation asking the prophet "What does God require of us?" And the prophet telling the people God requires his people to do Justice, love mercy and to walk humbly with their God. We as Christians are no different than the nation of Israel. We follow God, drift away, come back again?..As I was listening to this sermon I knew I needed to write a song about it. And as soon as I got home from church that is what I did. I sat down and wrote this song.
Potter And Clay
Potter And Clay is simply a song about the fact that we need to quit molding ourselves into what we want to be and allow God to form us as he sees fit. The first verse talks about me needing and desiring to be like God, knowing that His Spirit lives in me but that I continue to let the flesh show through. The first verse finishes out with a cry for renewal of my mind so I can be like him. The chorus basically is telling perhaps begging God to mold me and make me according to His will. The next verse is a cry to God giving Him all that I am, again knowing that his way is perfect and mine is not. And finally knowing that all the troubles I go through will one day become gold. And one day I will see His face.
The Knight
This was simply taken from the comic strip B.C. by Johnny Hart. It appeared as an 8 frame monologue on Easter Sunday. I simply took the exact words and changed only one, wrote the music and there it was. It is the gospel story from a comic strip?pretty cool I think.
It Pleased The Lord To Crush Him
Taken from Isaiah chapter 53. The prophecy of Christ as the man of sorrows who would come and be the lamb lead to the slaughter for our sin. The verse that hit me the most was verse 10 that says It pleased the Lord to crush Him?thus the title of the song?.a lot of scripture from this chapter is used in this tune.
Wilted Rose
One of two songs that is meant to really challenge the Body of Christ to get off their butts and get involved in peoples lives. The first verse talks about a young girl who is standing on a corner downcast with a wilted rose in her hair. All she wants is warmth and love and there is no one to give it to her. Is she a prostitute, or just a lonely girl perhaps a runaway from an abusive family situation? Since I wrote the song I know, but I am not saying. The chorus simply is asking where are the Christians? They are doing nothing. The second verse is pretty clear. A woman in love, who gave her all for her husband who just didn't want to be committed to marriage. The third verse goes back to the girl from the first verse. Now her time on earth was done. What happened to her, how did she die and who laid her to rest? Family, friends, the state. And again the chorus which still has the body of Christ sitting around doing nothing.
Old Man
This song has brought many tears. A pretty simple song about a man who lives by himself and no one seems to want to have anything to do with him. As the story unfolds he wants to be reached out to by others but it never happens. As with Wilted Rose, one has to wonder who buried him in the end. The most important part is the chorus. We are always going to come into contact with people who don't know Christ and we may be the only Jesus some will ever see. What are we doing? Why are we not reaching out to others? This is also a bit of a personal song as the old man is a person who I have seen before. I drove by him on my way to church many times. Other inspiration for this song came from my own dad as I watched him grow older, slow down, watched his gray hair thin, watched as his eyesight got worse and saw how his own gait was not as it used to be.
Feet
Feet is just a fun song taken from Romans 10:15. The chord progression was borrowed from a popular Jim Croce Song (Roller Derby Queen)
Trials
Trials are something we all as Christians must go through. This song gives the rightful impression that God allows and sometimes puts us through a trial to strengthen us. We may suffer for a while and go through a time of pain but God's spirit is still alive in us. The chorus is a reminder that God never promised us an easy life once we become Christians. But as difficulties arise we should seek Him on our knees.
Let Me Be
This song is a cry out to God asking him what does he see when he looks at me or when he hears my words. So often I realize I am not who I should be with my actions or words. I wonder if God sees my sinfulness or does he see the child that he has made free from sin. The chorus is simply a cry to God to make me like him. To make me an example of who he is and a perfect picture of him.
Put Your Armor On
Taken from Ephesians 6:10-17 where we learn about the armor of God. The song is a reminder that our enemy, Satan roams around trying to destroy us and we are to put on the full armor of God
Sail Away Home / Go With God Medley
Sail Away Home is a song of rejoicing that one day Jesus will return and take us to be home with him.
Go With God is the song I like to close out concerts with. It is the admonition to leave the concert with God. And it is my hope and prayer that his love, Spirit, wisdom and presence will always be with you.
Live Loud
The message of this song is to live loud for Christ no matter where you go. Everyone needs to hear of the hope that lives inside you as a Christian and you need to shout it out for all the world to hear.
