Bart grew up in the farm country of northwest Iowa and trusted in Christ in his youth. He was educated at Denver Baptist College (B.A.), Westminster Theological Seminary, Rutgers University (M.L.S.) and the University of Michigan (M.B.A.). After spending 4 years as a medical librarian at Wayne State University in Detroit, Bart founded a library services firm in 1982, which he sold in 2000. He founded a title search firm which he with his 2 sons sold in 2021. Bart has been married for 45 short years to Lorraine, and they are immensely thankful for their 5 children and 23 grandchildren.

Bart is at home with his head in a book or his hands in the soil or sitting at a table eating and laughing with friends. He finds joy in competing and creating in business, learning, losing himself in the beauty of music or nature, or spending time with Lorraine, his closest friend and wife.