Scott Barkley promoted to editor of The Christian Index

DULUTH – Dr. J. Robert White, executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, has announced that Scott Barkley, 44, who has been serving as associate managing editor of The Christian Index, has now been promoted to editor of the publication effective June 1, 2018.

In his 15 years with The Christian Index, Scott Barkley has served as production editor, web content editor, and associate managing editor. He will assume the role of editor June 1, with current editor J. Gerald Harris serving as senior editor until his retirement Dec. 31.

J. Gerald Harris, 77, who has served as the editor of The Index since June 23, 2003, will become the senior editor until his retirement scheduled for December 31, 2018. Harris plans to continue his writing and preaching ministry following his retirement from the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.

Barkley, who joined The Index staff in January of 2004, has served Georgia Baptists with faithfulness and effectiveness in a variety of roles with the state Baptist publication. He has been instrumental in making the transition from a print edition to an all-digital news journal in January 2016.

Barkley is a graduate of Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, AL, where he earned a BS degree in Secondary Education. While in college he served as president, community ministries director, worship director, and as a small group leader of the university’s Baptist Campus Ministries.

After serving in summer missions in Colorado and Wyoming, Barkley was engaged as a North American Mission Board US/C-2 missionary for two years in Cheyenne, WY.

Scott and his wife, Amy, are members of Cartersville First Baptist Church where he has served as a deacon, a Bible study leader, and children and youth group ministry leader. He is also a former board member for Bartow Family Resources, a pregnancy resource center. Barkley has been involved for years in the mentoring program of the Cartersville City School System and serves as an advisor to the Cartersville High student newspaper, The Chipper. The Barkleys have four children: Rylee, Jackson, Bryce, and Charlotte, three of them through adoption.

From his years as a teenager Barkley produced freelance articles mostly on sports and religion for numerous publications including: The Cherokee County (AL) Herald, The Gadsden (AL) Times, The Alabama Baptist, Baptist Press, The Cartersville Daily-Tribune, Cartersville Patch, Johns Creek Patch, GEORGIA Magazine (for which Barkley also served on the Advisory Board), and Friday Night Football Magazine. Outlets such as Baptist Press and SBC Life have published Barkley’s articles written for The Index.

The Baptist Communicators Association has honored Barkley frequently through the years for his outstanding journalism. At the most recent BCA Awards he was recognized three times, including a First Place award in Editorial/Opinion for “Remembering the Jesus Man and His Voice for the Gospel.”