Author, debater, ex-minister and musician.

Dan Barker is co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. He was born in 1949, and served as a Christian preacher and musician for 17 years, until he left Christianity in 1984.

He received a degree in Religion from Azusa Pacific University and was ordained to the ministry by the Standard Community Church, California, in 1975. He served as associate pastor at a Friend’s (Quaker) Church, an Assembly of God, and an independent Charismatic church. To this day, he receives royalties from his popular children’s Christian musicals, “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (1977), and “His Fleece Was White As Snow” (1978), both published by Manna Music and performed in many countries.

A successful musician, Barker has composed over 200 songs that have been published or recorded. Along with his wife Annie Laurie Gaylor, he is the current co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. He also co-hosts the weekly Freedom From Religion Foundation radio show with Annie Laurie Gaylor.

Barker has written several books including “Losing Faith in Faith” (1992) and “Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America’s Leading Atheists” (2008).