Barry graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, with honours in English literature. He started out his career in 1960 as a secondary school teacher at Murray Bridge High School in South Australia, where he taught until 1963.

Barry was ordained as a minister of the Christian Revival Crusade (now CRC Churches International) in 1962. He became pastor of the Port Adelaide CRC assembly from 1964-1975, and associate pastor of Adelaide Crusade Centre from 1975-1978.

Appointed Dean of the Crusade Bible College in 1964, Barry continued this role through to 1977, when he became Principal of the college. In 1979, he led the re-development of the college into Tabor College, a multidenominational charismatic tertiary institution. He was president of the College until 2003. He also founded Tabor College Sydney in 1992, being its principal until 2002.

Barry was founding editor of Australia's New Day magazine in 1980. It was the first national magazine addressing Australian pentecostals, charismatics and evangelicals. He remained president of the magazine until it ceased operations in 1997. He was also a Sunday night talkback radio host on 5DN in Adelaide, South Australia from 1983-1986, and chairman of the United Charismatic Conventions in South Australia from 1980-1991.

In 2000, he received a PhD in history from Macquarie University, his thesis The spirit of Pentecost. Barry Chant: Thesis

Since 2003, Barry has been the senior pastor of the International Congregation at Wesley Mission, Sydney, Australia.