Grace & Truth first church building - Hershey

Grace & Truth Bible Church rented their first church building in Hershey, PA.  It was a former Milton Hershey Boys orphanage on North Hockersville Road at the intersection of Hesheypark Drive.  This home is now within the entrance to the Hershey entertainment complex.  This would be the home of Grace & Truth for almost three years.

Grace & Truth Bible Church - 1981

In June of 1981 a group of believers met in the home of Fred and Darlene Wise in Hummelstown, PA to form a new congregation.  There were 12 people that first Sunday.  This gathering would quickly outgrow the Wise's home and begin to look for a rental facility.  The church chartered under the name of Grace & Truth Bible Church.

Pastor Tom would work the night shift at AMP Inc. of Harrisburg for a couple of years while working to build and grow the church during the day.  God richly blessed this new work which saw steady growth during those early years.

In 1983 and 1984 Grace & Truth Bible Church took a leading role in organizing a summer Tent Revival in Hershey, PA.  The use of the land was donated by Hess Ford on the location of what is now the Giant Food Store on Route 743.  Dr. Joe Boyd and Dr. Randy Taylor were brought in for a joint effort tent revival among the independent churches in the Harrisburg area.

1980-81 at Sand Beach

In June of 1980 Tom became the Pastor at the Independent Bible Church of Sand Beach which is a small village near Hershey Pennsylvania.  The family moved to the area and ministered at the Sand Beach church for one year.

College 1975-1979

Tom Gunther attended Hyles Anderson College in Crown Point Indiana and majored in Christian Education.

Years at Grace Bible Baptist Church - Baltimore Maryland

Tom Gunther and his wife Priscilla began to attend Grace Bible Baptist Church in Baltimore Maryland in   1973.  The church has just recently been founded by Dr. Earl Johnson II.  It was through the ministry of Grace Bible Baptist that God began to work in the hearts of Tom and Priscilla.  They began to get involved in the ministry of Grace through teaching and working with the youth group.  Tom also became a Deacon in the ministry.

It was at Grace Bible Baptist in 1975 that Tom was called to preach and informed his pastor that he was heading to Bible College.

After graduating from Bible college in 1979, Tom and Priscilla came back to Grace Bible Baptist to help the church begin their Christian school.  Tom was the first Administrator and A.C.E.director of the 5th through 12th grades.  Priscilla directed the A.C.E. program in the 2nd through 4th grades.  They held these positions during the 1979-1980 school year before leaving that following summer to pastor in Pennsylvania.

Salvation

Tom Gunther spent time at the Gary United Methodist Church in Daniels Maryland as well.  This church was an Evangelical United Brethern church at the time and was located in the the town of Daniels along the Patapsaco River.  This town was in the national spotlight during Hurricane Agnes as this mill town was totally destroyed aside from this church that sat upon a hill.

Tom went to Vacation Bible School here during the summers and while in elementary school participated in a mock wedding with a girl named Priscilla Bridner who he would later marry.

It was during revival services at Gary Church that Tom accepted Christ as Saviour when he was ten years old.

Early Church LIfe

Tom Gunther grew up on Dogwood Road in Baltimore Maryland.  The Emmarts United Methodist Church was within walking distance to his home and he and his Mother would walk to church each Sunday.  Tom later became a Sunday School teacher and Boy Scout leader here at Emmarts.

Welcome

This blog is dedicated to my late Father - Pastor Tom Gunther.  Pastor Gunther passed away April of 1999.  The purpose of this site is to preserve the memory of my Dad and to share his story with others.