About Pastor Debra Garner

Pastor 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  Pastor Garner 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 Gospel of Jesus Christ.  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.  For six years she 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 healing and hope through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Answering the call to launch a church, 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.

Pastor Garner  received a Master of Divinity degree in Christian Counseling from Maple Springs Baptist Bible College and Seminary, where she is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Ministry.   She is married to David Garner, her soul mate and life partner of 27 years.  They have two adult children, Brooke and Evan, and a grandson, Jacob.