Phil grew up on the beautiful beaches of South Australia, where his love for sports (particularly Australian Football) led him to first train in human physiology, and then later as a school teacher. His appetite for adventure took him on an escapade around the world, and a short stopover in London turned into a 12 year stay in England’s cosmopolitan capital. Phil then traded the lights of the West End for the trails of the Mountain West, and is now based in Denver, Colorado, with his delightful family. His spare time is spent mountaineering in the Rockies and enjoying seemingly endless ski fields, and while the Adelaide Crows are still his number one sports team, the Denver Nuggets are rapidly becoming a new object of affection.

In his 10 years as a pastoral staff leader at Hillsong Church London (a thriving multi-campus church with a weekly attendance of 13,000 people), Dr Barnard would draw upon his unique meld of research expertise and practical experience as he taught and spoke for groups of up to 10,000 people. As a young church leader, he directed the 150-person Hillsong team that together built the largest children’s ministry of its kind in the United Kingdom and produced multi-day children’s events at iconic London venues including Royal Albert Hall and The O2 Arena. Shortly afterwards, Dr Barnard became the senior lecturer Hillsong Evening College, and oversaw all teaching activities at Hillsong Church London. Alongside regular teaching at Hillsong, he delivered keynotes and panel sessions at Willow Creek Community Church, Launch Conference and Kidshaper Conference.

Academically, Dr Barnard’s expertise uniquely spans theology, education, science and international development. His extensive, field-based investigations on education and schooling in the slums of Mumbai, India, was built on his interest in using education as a tool for transformation for those experiencing generational poverty. These research findings were catalytic in the establishment of a school in the Kalwa community of the Indian megacity. In 2017, Dr Barnard’s exploration into the development of an innovative framework for understanding the causes of poverty culminated with him earning his doctorate in theology from King's College London. In addition to his doctorate and master’s degrees, Dr Barnard has earned degrees in applied science, physiology and education.

He has written editorial contributions in the newly-released Fearfully Made and The New Testament Experience: The Gospels for the Modern World and op-ed pieces for the Christian Post. His four-volume chronological Bible study (an accompaniment to the WORD Bible) was used widely across small groups at Hillsong Church London and his theological research has been published in peer-reviewed journals. 

More recently, Dr Barnard's focus has been on addressing the cycle of poverty in one of Denver's most underprivileged neighborhoods. Through his daily work with children in inner-city elementary schools (where almost 90% of the students come from families living below the poverty line) he directly applies his extensive research to attacking the causes of poverty at a very tangible, grassroots level.

In 2020, amidst the ravages of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, Dr Barnard began his work to co-found Auxylios, a pilot research and advisory organization that helps individuals and organizations to strategically rethink their compassionate activity. Through the development of a unique, three-factor measurement tool, his team can identify more precisely the impact of each charitable dollar spent. They then use this to identify the most impacting anti-poverty activities on the planet.

Dr Barnard would love to chat with you about your burning questions, assist you with numerous resources and to equip you and your team as you seek to help rebuild and strengthen your community.