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The History of Gettysburg Bible Baptist Church Our desire is that you find God’s will for your life as a Christian, and experience all the love and grace through Jesus Christ, if you have not yet received Christ. (Romans 5:8). We hope the history of Gettysburg Bible Baptist Church will be of interest to you, and invite you to worship with us at Gettysburg Bible Baptist Church. The Early Year's of GBBC - 1960's
1961-1966 The birth of GBBC started many years ago in the early 1960’s. In 1961, the late Pastor Charles Leiphart, his wife Doris and their children, arrived in the Gettysburg area. Pastor Leiphart, from Renova, Pennsylvania, came to Gettysburg with the expressed burden of starting a local, independent Baptist Church. He stated, “ I felt the call of God to establish an independent, fundamental, gospel witness in Gettysburg.” This early, small church planter did exactly that; and in a short period of time he was looking for a place suitable for rent so Bible studies and a Sunday School could be established.
In 1964, a committee was chosen from this small group of believers to write and format a church constitution. Many long hours were spent on this task, and eventually this was completed, which led to a charter. In December of 1965, this nucleus of believers was granted a charter from the Adams County Court House. The charter made the ministry a non-profit religious organization, and was named Gettysburg Bible Church. There were thirty-six charter members during this milestone of GBBC’s early ministry. The purpose of this newly formed corporation was expressed in a clipping in the December 4, 1965 edition of the Gettysburg Times Newspaper concerning this charter. It expressed eloquently what GBBC still stands for these many decades later. It stated there, “ The edification of Christians through the teaching of God’s word; the salvation of souls; the worldwide proclamation of God’s saving grace expressed in the shed blood and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on Cavalry; the Promotion of godly worship; the defense of the “faith, which was once delivered unto the Saints’ until he comes.” Pastor Leiphart would not be full time, and came to realize that Gettysburg Bible Church needed a full time Pastor for this growing ministry. In November 1966 Pastor Leiphart and his family left this ministry, where God had greatly used him as a church planter, to help another work in the Renova, Pennsylvania area.
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Gettysburg Bible
Baptist Church |
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He
had a difficult time finding a place suitable for this purpose, and
after much prayer and God’s ultimate leading, two buildings were
acquired for rental in the Gettysburg area. These two building’s
included an old house and Ice Cream shop. The Ice Cream shop and
house were both cleaned and prepared for the establishing of
in-house Sunday school classes for
children and Bible Studies for adults. 
Pastor
Leiphart worked in sales as a bi-vocational pastor and handed out
many tracts, and always invited those he met to his newly formed
Bible studies. During this time God greatly blessed and soon a small
nucleus of believers was formed. The small seeds of Gettysburg Bible
Baptist Church were being planted and growing.