" Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. " John 17,17
The Bible Baptist Church started as Pastor Jim Garrison and his family in May 1978 moved from Koblenz to Darmstadt to become interim Pastor of the Faith Baptist Church, a small English speaking Church, working primarily with the U.S. military and their families. Shortly after arriving he began holding German services with some of the German wives of the military and other German speaking people. The Church had an international congregation from the very beginning.
In Feb. 1979 Pastor Garrison introduced Faith Promise Missions to the Faith Baptist
Church. $5,000.00 was promised and given for World Missions.
In July 1979 a Vacation Bible School was held with 105 children attending and 3
accepting Christ during this time.
In August 1979 the first baby dedication was held, being translated from English into
both German and Spanish for a German/British family. As a direct result of this
service 3 Spanish people were saved.
Between May 1978 and Oct. 1979 there were 40 Americans saved with 11 baptized, in
addition 1 Turkish person, 10 Spanish people & 2 Italians were saved. 1 German was
baptized and 2 Germans joined the Church by statement of faith.
From Nov. 1979 to July 1980 the Church was watched over by Bro. Joe Fowler and later
Bro. Frank Combs while Pastor Garrison and his Family were in the States on Furlough.
When Pastor Garrison returned in July 1980 the German speaking Church separated from
the English speaking Church. The German Church became the Bibel Baptistin Gemeinde
(Bible Baptist Church) and the English Church became the Lighthouse Baptist Church.
These two Churches kept in very close contact even using the same facilities for a
period of time.
In June 1981 a Missions Conference was held with Bro. Phil Brown from Norway with the
German & Spanish Congregations.
In Sept. of 1982 weekly Spanish services were started on Sunday afternoons at the
Bible Baptist Church with Pastor Garrison preaching through an interpreter on the
first Sunday of each month. Also this month the German Church was able to move into
its own rented building on Elizabethen str.
There was a dedication of the new facilities on 25 Oct. 1981 with 25 people in
attendance with Pastor Wilhelm Falk from the Bible Baptist Church in Munich as
guest speaker.
In Dec. 1981 the first of many Tract tables were set up on Lusian Platz to distribute
Christian literature and Bibles to people of all walks of life and nationalities.
Also during this time Pastor Garrison helped start a new English speaking work in
Aschaffenberg for the U.S. Military stationed there.
In 1982 the Church offered both Children's Meetings on Friday afternoons and Ladies'
Bible Study every other Wed. Afternoon.
In Nov. 1982 the Church was able to send a missionary in Poland 19 boxes of food and
clothing to help with her work among the children of Poland.
In Jun. 1983 we had a picnic with several missionaries, our German people and Dr. &
Mrs. Collymore from East St. Louis, IL.
In July 1983 the Bible Baptist Church help the first Open-Air Children's Meeting in
the Herren Garten in downtown Darmstadt with 40 children attending.
On the 24 of Sept. 1984 the German Church was officially organized as the Bibel
Baptisten Gemeinde, e.V.(Bible Baptist Church) with 9 adult members.
Pastor Leon Gray, from the Berean Baptist Church, Springfield, MO, USA, the sponcering
Church, was the speaker for this service with 37 in attendance.
During the period from 1980 and 1984 3 Americans, 1 Hungarian, 1 Spanish and 1
Egyptian were saved. 3 Americans and 5 Germans were baptized.
From Dec. 1984 to Dec. 1985 Pastor Garrison and his family were again in America
for furlough and placing his oldest Daughter, Kathy, in Bible School. During this time
Bro. Mickey Johnson and Bro. Rod Kidd watched over the German Church. As they were here
3 Germans and 3 Italians were saved and 1 German joined the Church by letter.
Pastor Garrison returned and started a Prison ministry at the local jail in April 1986.
In May 1986 American softball was introduced to reach out to the local teens, both
German and American. This resulted in an American/German softball team which played
several games against local American softball teams.
In addition a weekly Bible Institute was started to help train the young men in the
German and Spanish churches. In July 1986 three separate Open-Air children's Meetings
were again held in the Herren Garten in Darmstadt, in Weiterstadt and in Kranichstein
with a total of 105 children in attendance. Several book tables were set up on Lusian
Platz to reach out into the community.
1986 was the year of weddings at Bibel Baptisten Gemeinde. 1st in August Pastor had
the pleasure of uniting Lydia Isaac and Heinrich Ganske, 2nd in October Pastor united
his 2nd daughter, Dina, and Del Smith and then in December Pastor united his oldest
daughter, Kathy and William Busch.
In October 1986 the Church moved into larger facilities on the same street.
Between 1985 and 1988 4 Germans & 5 Italians were saved.
In June 1988 a German/Russian refugee family consisting of 9 people, 5 adults and 4
children moved into our Fellowship Hall until their new home was ready for them.
Regular Italian services were begun after the Spanish services on Sunday evenings.
We started a Christian video evening once a month for a time of fellowship among all
of the different language groups who were attending the many different services of
Bible Baptist Church.
One of the young men in the Church opened a Christian store room in our Church.
Youth meetings were started on Saturday evenings at the Church for a time of fellowship
and Bible study.
During this time our German services were translated into Russian because of the many
German/Russian refugees who were coming into our area before and after the Berlin wall
fell on 9 Nov. 1989. There were 9 different German/Russian or Russian families who
visited with us during this period. 4 Russian adults were saved and 3 were baptized.
In June 1990 Pastor Garrison and 6 others made a 3-day trip into East Germany where
they visited 3 separate Churches. They passed out over 9,000 tracts and over 104 New
Testaments. From these tracts 11 letters came back to the Church with 9 people
professing salvation and requesting more information.
Pastor held Bible studies in Sept. and Oct. 1991 for refugees in Nieder-Ramstein.
During this time 1 Romanian, 2 Iranians, 1 Angolan family and 2 Bengalis accepted
Christ. On Dec 15, 1991 a Baby Dedication was held for the Kumpesa family from
Angola for their son, Lionel.
Because on many moves and changes among the Church people we were forced to give
up our rented building in Feb. 1992. Pastor Garrison held Sunday morning services
and mid-week Bible study in his home in Graeffenhausen. Starting March 22 we were
allowed to use a building belonging to a club for Crippled People in Darmstadt on
Sunday mornings, the mid-week bible study was continued at Pastor Garrison's house.
Later that year was a time of medical problems for Pastor Garrison when it was
discovered that he had Kidney Cancer and must undergo an operation on 1 September
1992. He came through the operation fine, but suffered several complications and was
in and out of the hospital from 31 August until Dec. 18. He then went to a 4 week
rehabilitation clinic. During this time the men of the Church filled in for Pastor.
On 11 Apr. 1993 Pastor held another Baby Dedication for the Kumpesa Family for their
daughter, Morena.
The following text is an excerpt from the book "The Trail of Blood"
by Dr. J.M. Carroll (08 Jan. 1858 - 10 Jan. 1931), Copyright 1931
Ashland Avenue Baptist Church, Lexington, Kentucky.
Refer to the
Literature section for more information about this book.
Quote "The Trail of Blood" Pg. 4-5 Chapter III and IV:
Chapter III
Baptists do not believe in Apostolic Succession.The Apostolic office
ceased with the death of the Apostles. It is to His churches that He
promised a continual existence from the time He organized the first
one during His earthly ministry until He comes again. He promised -
"I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
(Matt. 16:18)
Then, He gave the great Commision, which tells what His churches are to do, He promised -
"I will be with you alway, even unto the end of the age."
(Matt. 28:20))
This Commission -this work- was not given to the Apostles as individuals,
but to them and the others present in their church capacity. The Apostles
and the others who heard Him give this Commission were soon dead -BUT,
His Church has lived on through the ages, making disciples (getting folks saved),
baptizing them, and teaching the truth -the doctrines- He committed to the
Jerusalem Church. These faithful churches have been blessed with His presence
as they have traveled the TRAIL OF BLOOD.
This history shows, how the Lord's promise to His churches has been fulfilled.
Dr. Carroll shows that churches have been found in every age which have taught
the doctrines He committed unto them. Dr. Carroll calls these doctrines the
"marks" of New Testament Churches.
1. Its Head and Founder - CHRIST. He is the lawgiver; the Church is only the executive.
(Matt. 16:18; Col. 1:18)
2. Its only rule of faith and practice - THE BIBLE (II Tim. 3:15-17).
3. Its name - "CHURCH","CHURCHES" (Matt. 16:18; Rev. 22:16).
4. Its polity - CONGREGATIONAL - all members equal (Matt. 20:24-28; Matt. 23:5-12).
5. Its members - only saved people. (Eph. 2:21; I Peter 2:5)
6. Its ordinances - BELIEVERS' BAPTISM, FOLLOWED BY THE LORD'S SUPPER (Matt. 28:19-20).
7. Its officers - PASTORS AND DEACONS (I Tim. 3:1=16).
8. Its work - getting folks saved, baptizing them (with a baptism that meets all
the requirements of God's Word), teaching them ("to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded you") (Matt. 28:16-20).
9. Its financial plan - "Even so (TITHES and OFFERINGS) hath the Lord ordained
that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel" (I Cor. 9:14).
10. Its weapons of warfare - spiritual, not carnal (II Cor. 10:4; Eph. 6:10-20).
11. Its independence - separation of Church and State (Matt. 22:21).
Chapter IV
In any town there are many different churches - all claiming to be the true church.
Dr. Carroll did as you can do now - take the marks, or teachings, of the different churches
and find the ones which have these marks, or doctrines. The ones which have these marks, or doctrines,
taught in God's Word, are the true churches.
This, Dr. Carroll has done, to the churches of all ages. He found many that had departed from
"these marks, or doctrines." Other churches, however, he found had been true to these "marks"
in every day and age since Jesus said,
"I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18)
"I will be with you alway, even unto the end of the age." (Matt. 28:21)
Here ends the quote.
Pastor Garrison was saved and called to preach while in the United States Air Force. After eight years of honorable service, Pastor Garrison attended Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Mo., where he graduated with a degree in Theology in 1972. While in college he pastored the Grace Baptist Church in Galena, Mo. In 1972 he moved house to Houston, Texas with his family to become Associate Pastor and Missions Intem at the Freeway Baptist Church. In 1974 he resigned to go to the Mission field of Germany. He and his family arrived in 1975 and have been serving the Lord as pastor of the Bibel Baptisten Gemeinde (Bible Baptist Church) since founding the church in 1978.
Pastor Garrison also graduated from Faith Bible Theological Seminary, Milton, Florida with a Masters Degree. He is currently studying towards his Doctorate.
