George Barna

George Barna is the Executive Director of the American Culture and Faith Institute (a division of United in Purpose), conducting research on worldview, cultural transformation, and politics. Previously he founded the Barna Research Group in 1984 (now The Barna Group) and helped it become a leading marketing research firm focused on the intersection of faith and culture before selling it in 2009. In addition to providing research and strategy for several hundred parachurch ministries, thousands of Christian churches, the U.S. military, and numerous non-profit and for-profit organizations, he has been a pollster in three presidential campaigns.

Barna has written more than 50 books, mostly addressing cultural and religious trends, leadership, spiritual development, church dynamics, and cultural transformation. They include New York Times bestsellers and several award-winning books. His works have been translated into more than a dozen foreign languages. He has sold more books based on survey research related to matters of faith than any author in American history. His latest book is The Day Christians Changed America.

His work is frequently cited as an authoritative source by the media. Barna has been hailed as “the most quoted person in the Christian Church today” and has been named by various media as one of the nation’s most influential Christian leaders.

A frequent speaker at ministry conferences around the world, he is currently a Fellow at the Townsend Institute at Concordia University. He previously taught at several universities and seminaries. Barna has also served as the teaching pastor of a large, multi-ethnic church, pastor of a house church, an elder in four churches, and has helped to start several churches. After graduating summa cum laude from Boston College, Barna earned two Master’s degrees from Rutgers University and received a doctorate from Dallas Baptist University.