THE LORD'S CHURCH IN RAMSTEIN

        In the late 1970's, a group of brethren started meeting together as a church in Sembach, (then) West Germany.  Other brethren from the nearby Ramstein military community soon started meeting with this church.  With the passage of time, the original members of the Sembach church were transferred out of Germany leaving only the brethren who had been making the drive from Ramstein.  These brethren then found a meeting place closer to home in Ramstein village.  In 1983, this writer was asked to come and work with the church as their evangelist. Over the years the numbers increased and, starting about 1985, there were usually over 30 people in attendance; this number rising into the fifties in 1989, just before the drawdown of forces started.  From 1983 to the present, about two hundred brethren have been a part of the Ramstein Church of Christ, many with family who regularly attended.

        The church originally met in an insurance office on Kindsbacher Strasse in Ramstein village, later moving to its present location, 22 Landstuhler Strasse, in the Paqué Druck und Verlag building.  This meeting place provides adequate room for the assemblies of the church and for its Bible classes, as well as an adjoining area with sufficient parking.  Services are at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday;  Bible classes for all ages at 9 a.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Wednesday.

        The principle upon which the church at Ramstein was founded and has continued to operate is that the New Testament contains a pattern for the work, worship, and organization of the church, and for the life Christians are to lead (Rom. 6:17-18; 2 Tim. 1:13; cp. 1 Cor. 4:17; 7:17; 14:33-34; 16:1-2).  Hence, the classes, sermons, Gospel meetings, bulletins, etc., of the church have been constant in emphasizing the need to follow the Bible and in calling on those who have departed from the old paths to return to them (Jer. 6:16).  An example of this emphasis can be seen in the use of the church's collected funds:  In everything from supporting a preacher to purchasing communion cups for the Lord's supper, brethren have sought a "thus saith the Lord" for the use of said funds (1 Cor. 9:14; Matt. 26:26-29; Acts 20:7).

        The church has been active in both the spreading and defense of the Gospel.  Gospel meetings, dates for sermons on specific topics, and Bible correspondence courses are some tools it has used to reach the lost in the areas round about it.  Mailing and handing out bulletins and Gospel Meeting invitations, advertisements in the Kaiserslautern American, Findit Guide, and other publications, and now, a church web site, have all been means the church has used to reach out to those outside its membership.  With the opening of Eastern Europe the church allowed this writer (its current preacher) to make numerous efforts in preaching the Gospel there and has also helped other men in this field of labor.  More recently, it has supported this writer in efforts to preach in the Philippines.  A bulletin called The Ramstein Reminder, was mailed out from 1987 to 1994 to encourage brethren to study matters over which churches of Christ have divided.  One debate was held at our building in an effort to further study these issues.  More recently, The Ramstein Reminder has been resurrected as the weekly bulletin for the members of the church here.

        As those familiar with churches made up of U.S. government employees in Europe know, the continual loss of personnel through transfers is a fact of life in such congregations.  Like all similar groups, the church here has lost many good members over the years via transfers.  However, it has been continually fortunate to have brethren transferred into its vicinity to carry on the Lord's work.  With the recent arrival of more brethren the future of the church here looks bright and the hope for its further influence for furtherance of the Truth continues (cp. 1 Thes. 1:8).

CONCLUSION

       The church at Ramstein was founded on the belief that the way to please God is to follow the ancient paths, encourage others in such a quest, and to reprove departures from His ways (Acts 2:42; 1 Thes. 1:8; Rev. 2:2).  With this noble belief it encourages all people to visit its services or contact it to the end that we might all have that fellowship which comes from a common following of God's Truth (1 Jno. 1:3).