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About Pastor Debra Garner
Debra Garner received Jesus Christ
as her Lord and Savior in January 1992. She was baptized on December
10, 1993 at the Church of the Great Commission. As Debra grew in her
faith with Christ, God revealed to her that her love of the spoken and
written word would greatly impact her ministry.
She authored “Pipedreams” in 1988 and “Sister Spirit” in 1999. However,
in the year 2000, God began to do a new thing in her life and from there
she received the call to minister the word of God. Her dilemmas,
challenges and deliverances became the central theme for words that were
poured into her spirit through poetry and powerful teaching sermons. In
2003, she published "Just a Closer Walk With Thee", a story poem about
the trauma of sexual abuse, and "Wish Upon A Rainbow", her first book of
poems for children.
Her debut CD, “Poet
on Fire for Jesus” demonstrates how God uses her gifts to minister to
the brokenhearted and set the captives free. Since 2001, she has taught
poetry to prison inmates at the Maryland Correctional Institute for
Women, assisting them in an annual production of performance poetry.
Under her leadership, the inmates published four books of original
works.
In 2000, the Lord
called Pastor Garner to teach and preach the gospel and afforded her the
opportunities to speak at worship services, conferences and revivals.
Pastor Garner was ordained in June 2005 through the Great Commission
Global Ministries by Bishop David T.P. Perrin, who is her pastor. God
has given Pastor Garner the vision to teach the brokenhearted that there
is guaranteed hope in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Answering the call to launch a new branch in Zion, A Closer Walk
Christian Church held its first official worship service on Sunday,
January 21, 2007 in its present location in Suitland, Maryland. The
ministry continues to grow under the headship of Christ, with Pastor
Garner as the faithful shepherd,
She has a Bachelor
of Science degree from the University of Bridgeport and a Master of Arts
from American University, both in Journalism and Communications.
She recently
graduated from Maple Springs Baptist Bible College and Seminary and
received a Master of Divinity degree in Christian Counseling on May 3,
2008.
Pastor Garner is
married to David Garner, her soul mate and life partner of 25 years.
They have two adult children, Brooke and Evan.
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