Pastor Garry Sheaffer
Pastor of Prayer and Care
Pastor Garry was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1949. He is the oldest in a family of 6 boys and 1 girl. He attended Wenksville Methodist Church until age 17.
Pastor Garry graduated from Biglerville High School in 1967, 5th in his class of 95 in academic achievement. It was during his senior year in high school that he was invited to attend Gettysburg Foursquare Gospel Church and on April 30, 1967 received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He became involved in the youth ministry and led worship. He then began to lead worship in the Sunday night and Wednesday adult services. Shortly after high school graduation in 1968, Pastor Garry was hired by Penn Dot and worked in the Survey Department
In 1969 he began dating Wanda McGlaughlin, his soon to be wife, who was raised in the church and they were married on February 15, 1970. They remained involved in the youth ministry as lay-youth ministers, taught Sunday School, served on the church board, printed the church bulletin, sang in the choir, led worship, and parented two children, Duane and Michelle.
In 1977 Pastor Garry and Wanda left the Foursquare Church to help a pastor/friend, Joe Fissel, start Heritage Assembly of God in Gettysburg. In 1978 Heritage Assembly bought a plot of ground and began to build. At that time, Pastor was laid off from Penn Dot due to a cutback in work force and he began working for Centura Associates as a job foreman and for the next 7 years built churches all over Pennsylvania and Maryland.
In 1979 Pastor Garry and Wanda began to attend Bethel Assembly of God in Littlestown and serve in lay-ministry, leading worship, teaching Sunday School, starting a Royal Ranger program, Men's Ministry group, and serving on the church board. In 1985 Pastor Garry began working for a large builder in Baltimore, Maryland due to a lay off at Centura. He worked there until 1997 when God closed that door and began to move he and Wanda in the direction of full-time ministry. During this season, they started an intercessory prayer group that is still very strong.
In January of 1999, Pastor Garry was brought on staff at Bethel Assembly of God as the Pastor of Prayer and Care. He helps direct many of the compassion and counseling ministries in the church, is Vice President of the Littlestown Ministerium, coordinator of the Hanover Adams County Pastors' Prayer Network, participates in the Capital Region Pastors' Network and the Prayer Leaders Network, has traveled in missions work to Mexico, and most recently has spoken at conference gatherings.
Pastor Garry has a passion for raising up prayer warriors and uniting pastors and churches over this region. He also has a passion for the presence of God and the Father's love to be imparted.