Barnabas Piper grew up as a pastor's kid in Minnesota, attended Wheaton College in Illinois, worked nearly fourteen years in Christian publishing and church resourcing before being called into the pastorate in 2019. He has a master's in theological studies from Grimke Seminary.

Barnabas was married for over eleven years to his first wife, and they have two daughters. They were divorced in 2016. Barnabas has shared openly about this experience on various podcasts and speaking engagements, particularly emphasizing God's sustaining hand and the role of the local church in the restoration of his soul and in sustaining his faith. He remarried in 2020 to Lauren and they have one son.

He has been on staff at Immanuel Church in Nashville, Tennessee, since 2019 where he serves as an assistant pastor overseeing adult community and is part of the preaching and teaching team. He also facilitates their pre-marital and marital counseling ministry.