Minister of Music – Buddy Barnes

Barnes loves orchestral music, brings his passion to FBC Ashville

Buddy Barnes has had a passion for orchestral music most of his life. That’s one of the reasons he brought it to First Baptist Ashville when he joined the ministerial staff in January (2025).

“My dad was a high school band director and a choir director for many years at FBC Hokes Bluff in Gadsden,” Barnes says. “I played in an orchestra in another church, 12th Street Baptist, for Christmas pageants, etc, while I was in high school.”

Born and raised in Gadsden, Buddy has been in the music ministry for 40 years in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. At first, he served as music and youth director combined. He spent the last 27 years before coming to FBC Ashville as music minister at several churches in Chattanooga. When FBC called him, God knew that he and his wife, Deanise, were ready to come back home to a slower pace of life.

“I was saved at 15, when I was a sophomore in Gadsden High School and my dad was choral director there,” Barnes says. “I was a member of a group that sang at revivals, and I came to know the Lord at one of them.”

While at Jacksonville State University, where he majored in music, he played trumpet with an instrumental and vocal group called Truth. “We traveled during the summer months,” he says. “I surrendered to full-time Christian service as a sophomore on one of those summer trips.” Meanwhile, he had been serving at a church part time since he was 18 and a freshman. “I started in full-time service at 23.” 

He plays trumpet, drums, keyboard and French horn. Ordained in 1991 in Atlanta, he has taught trumpet and voice lessons, and might be willing to do so again should someone request it. 

Buddy and Deanise have two children, a son named Riley, born in 2001, and a daughter named Tori, born in 1998. Deanise retired after 27 years with the federal court system in Chattanooga, and now does legal work with attorneys in Gadsden.

He likes to stay physically fit by running and working out at Planet Fitness. “I  used to do horseback riding, too, but that takes a lot of time and  money,” he says. “It gets expensive having horses.” He stays spiritually fit by reading God’s Word daily, along with prayer time and listening to Christian music.