Mr. Barker was one of a company of brethren that the Lord greatly used during the end of the last century and also in the present one. He, Mr. A.J. Pollock, Mr. F.B. Hole and Mr. J.T. Mawson were eminently successful in their endeavours in evangelism. One of the areas where Mr. Barker was blessed was in Crewe. It was there where he conducted a gospel tent campaign and it was reported that as a result of that campaign, three well known Socialist politicians confessed the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. Also another person confessed the Lord who became the representative of the Railway in Crewe. This brother preached every Monday to 4,000 men when they came off their morning shift. For the duration of World War I, Mr. Barker resided in Grange-over-Sands.
For a number of years Mr. Barker served the Lord in the West Indies and many souls were blessed as a result of his service. He went with another brother and when they were both ill they were nursed by Creole ladies whom they married eventually. Mr. and Mrs Barker had a large family and their eldest son, Eric, worked in Northern Portugal as a missionary for many years. Unfortunately all of Eric's family but one, were lost when a submarine torpedoed the boat in which they were returning to Britain. Eric married again, and the Lord gave him another large family.
Mr. Barker's hymn in 'Spiritual Songs' is no. 30 and was a dual effort. He wrote some verses and Mr. A. Cutting the others. The hymn was an exposition of a book that Mr. Barker wrote which was called "The Vicar of Christ"— an excellent book which expounds most of the references to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament.
The hymn was "We praise Thee for Thy Spirit, Lord". Mr. Barker wrote verses 1, 3, 4 and 7. Mr. A. Cutting wrote verses 2, 5 and 6.