Born and raised on a ranch near Tulsa, Oklahoma, James Barlow attend John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. After receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering, he married his college sweetheart in the summer of 1982.

They now live in northern Colorado and have been married for 25 years. In the course of struggling through numerous adoption experiences, God ultimately blessed them with four beautiful children.

At heart, James is an entrepreneur and has launched or co-founded multiple ministries; started numerous businesses; is an inventor; pastor / teacher; and author. He also holds numerous patents for technology being used in renewable energy production and also in the field of literature.

He was the founding pastor of Discovery Fellowship Church in Ft. Collins, Colorado that has been one of the fastest growing church starts in the region. He has also helped launch other ministries, including an orphan ministry for care of orphans in third world countries. The business ventures he has launched include an energy consulting firm, an engineering company, a renewable energy technology company and a retail business.

The Accord and the accompanying Commentary are his first two works of literature to be published. They began as a personal study to better understand the life, ministry and teachings of Jesus. He soon realized the benefits this could bring to many people and ultimately decided to publish his first of what is expected to be many books.