Rob Barry

Meet Rob

I'm a local boy. I grew up in Dallas, went to Pearce High School and was the oldest of seven kids. I dated a girl in high school whose parents were Young Life Leaders, and they invited me to a camp where I heard the gospel and trusted in God's provision to reconcile me to Himself through Christ. The next semester they gave me my greatest treasure, my own NIV Bible. It was through Young Life that over the next decade, I learned that leaders serve others and got my first taste of biblical community.

After graduating from Baylor, I attended Dallas Theological Seminary where I could be further trained in how to study God's word. Many big events took place over the next five years: I met my wife, Leslie, who is the funniest person I have ever met (really she's magnetic). Graduated, but completely burned out because I had neglected the most essential aspect of Christian life: being connected and abiding with Jesus (Jn. 15). I had missed the big idea that the goal of scripture was not to know more scripture, but to know and trust the living God (Phil. 3:10).

In order to get as far away from ministry as I could, I went to work for Starbucks for several years. Working as only God does, He broke me there and taught me about ministry: Loving God and loving others. I eventually came on staff in 2007 to serve under the marriage team and serve the Watermark Coffee team. In 2008, I moved into a role that better suited my gifts as a married community director. Living in biblical community has changed almost every area of my life and been God's provision to make me more like Christ (Proverbs 27:17). In 2014, I joined a team of friends to launch our Plano Campus which would become Citybridge Community Church. We spent the last 10 years serving in Plano before we returned to Watermark as members in June 2024 and ultimately back on staff in my favorite role ever, a community director in December 2024.

I celebrate any time with Leslie, and count it an honor and joy to be a dad to our four kids: Jackson, Benjamin, Caden, and Becca. I feel blessed by the couples in our community group and the way they pursue us, follow up with us, and encourage us towards faithfulness. I'm looking forward to knowing you better and growing with you.