Born in Phoenix and raised in Los Angeles, Gerald Barnes was educated at California State University and at the Assumption-St. John Seminary in San Antonio, Texas. He was ordained in 1975, and received his episcopal consecration in 1992. In 1995, he was appointed bishop of San Bernardino, California, which is one of the nation's fastest growing dioceses. Barnes' long ministry in the American Southwest has given him an interest in the plight of Latin-American workers and Hispanic immigrants. He served has served as the chair of the USCCB's Committee on Refugees and Migrants, as well as being a member of the Administrative Committee and the Communication Committee. Barnes is also a board member of the Mexican American Cultural Center and of the Inland Empire Hispanic Scholarship Fund.