A Short History of God’s Work among Us

The Bibelgemeinde Berlin (BiGeBe) was founded in spring, 2002, and God used three families to do this: the Andresens, the Greens and the Borchmanns. Christian Andresen, Cary Green, and Dieter Borchmann all graduated from The Master's Seminary, in San Fernando Valley, California and were sent to plant a church in Berlin and to found a training center for preachers in Germany (European Bible Training Centre - Berlin). Christian and his family moved to Germany in 1997, Cary and his family followed in 1999 and finally Dieter and his family came to the German capital in 2001. First, they tried to join forces with a small group of German believers in Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg and planted a church named "Die Christburg." But it became increasingly obvious that their philosophy of ministry was different, and so in March 2002 "Die Christburg" and the three pastors with their families parted ways. In the following weeks and months, Dieter, Christian, and Cary visited churches further in the east of Berlin, looking for an area where there was no biblical church, but with lots of people who needed to be reached with the gospel.

The Beginning of the BiGeBe

In August they finally found a site in Berlin’s city district of Hohenschönhausen/Wartenberg to rent some rooms and have Sunday services and midweek Bible studies. At first the group was very small, but in the fall of 2002, the first visitors started coming to the newly established Bibelgemeinde Berlin, and a handfull believers joined the church immediately. The "BiGeBe," as it came to be known, began reaching out to the people of Hohenschönhausen/Wartenberg through street preaching, a book stand at a public fair, and most of all through tens of thousands of tracts and invitations passed out in the summers with the help of Short-Term Missions Teams from the USA.

The "Treffpunkt 180"

In 2005, the BiGeBe started to rent a store in a shopping area, so that people who wouldn't come to a church service could come and talk with them about the important questions of life. The so-called "treffpunkt180" (i. e. venue or meeting place; the 180 stands for performing a volte-face (one-eighty) in coming to believe in Jesus and break with the previous living) was and is used for different events: e.g., Bible studies, music and testimony evenings, and afternoon Bible times for mothers with their little children, and more.

Changes and New Facilities

In 2005, other important changes happened, too. As it was already mentioned, Cary, Christian and Dieter came to Berlin not only to plant a church, but also to found the EBTC and teach there. When Dieter came to Berlin in 2001, they founded the "Europäisches Bibel Trainings Centrum" (EBTC), and over the years they divided their time between teaching their students one weekend each month and continuing to preach and teach and work as elders of the BiGeBe. Then in 2005, Christian decided to focus primarily on expanding and building up the EBTC, while also helping to serve in a small German congregation which was part of the larger ministry of a Russian-German church, in whose facilities the EBTC also held its classes and still does. So Christian and his family, along with some other families, departed from the BiGeBe to attend this other church. Dieter and Cary, whose primary focus was church planting, stayed on ministering at the BiGeBe.

Meanwhile, there were some other Russian-German brothers and sisters, who rented the rooms of the BiGeBe on Sunday afternoons. But it was just an interim solution for them; they needed to find a bigger building. So along with these brothers, Cary and Dieter started searching the area for a bigger, but less expensive place to rent. And after much searching and prayer, they found an old run-down building, which is the place where the BiGeBe meets today. The Russian-Germans in particular refurbished the building, and both their congregation and the BiGeBe began using it in December, 2005 - even though it was an unimproved facility in the beginning.

Focus of the Ministry

In 2006, not only did the church building itself improved dramatically as the renovations took place, but new members came to Bibelgemeinde Berlin, and they are still there today. Apart from their service as teachers at the EBTC, Dieter and Cary continued to focus primarily on serving as elders, raising up men for leadership, preaching and teaching intensely teaching the flock, and thus, the church not only grew in number, but also in faith. The Bibelgemeinde Berlin is already known at several places across Germany for its sound doctrine.

Cary and Dieter strongly concentrated on teaching the church members and motivating everyone to serve in the BiGeBe – as service for the Lord Jesus Christ. As already mentioned, the Treffpunkt 180 is still maintained as a means to reach the people in the neighborhood with the gospel. Every summer there are short-term missions teams who come from the US to help the Bibelgemeinde primarily with distributing tens of thousands of tracts.

In the spring of 2008, four men – Wilhelm, Pascal, Aleksander and Daniel – were appointed as deacons and serve the church in various ministries. Pascal Grosjean also started to prepare for his ordination as elder in September 2009. In summer 2008 he stopped working as taxidriver and started to serve full time in the foundation-ministry of the Bibelgemeinde Berlin. As we know it of our trustworthy and faithful God is, He perfectly took care of His church at Berlin, while He knew before what would happen in 2009...

God Needs Nobody?!!!

In January of 2009, the BiGeBe was shocked by the news that the Greens had to leave Berlin because the German government does not allow homeschooling. Cary, his wife Lois, and their (at that time) eleven children not only helped plant the Bibelgemeinde but gave their whole lives for this ministry for 10 years. Therefore, their departure in April was not only very sad on a personal basis – because of their great love for every member of the church and their good example to follow – but it also left a big hole in the ministries of the BiGeBe.

However, God is very gracious in everything that He has done over the years in this church, and He is sovereign in everything that happens. That’s why the goal of the Bibelgemeinde is to trust in Him and continue in serving Him, being aware that He needs none of us and builds His church – not our church – according to His will. Faithfully He sent others who came to the church in the last years and learned to love it and serve in it.

Purposes and Perspectives

The growth and come to maturity of all members will be important for the work of the BiGeBe in the following years. It will be essential, that they dedicate theirselves into this ministry, especially because in July 2010 the Grosjeans moved to the United States: Pascal is studying at the Master's Seminary in San Fernando Valley, California - as Dieter, Christian and Cary did once - so that Pascal will be further equipped for his ministry as elder of the BiGeBe.

Through all difficulties and changes it is encouraging that we are not to reach certain numbers and goals but that God wants those who have been given a trust to prove that they are faithful. Whoever will help us with this work, whoever will come to believe and love the Lord - we just have to prove ourselves faithful slaves of Jesus Christ.

We always want to make it our goal, to obey God's commantments for our personal life and the structure and service of His church. We do not want wo ask and do what men want us to do but study the bible to see what honors our God: "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)