Pastor Rebsamen:
A Pastor’s call . . . A Christian’s vision . . A Father’s heart. Dr. George J. Rebsamen, Jr. was born in New York City on August 28, 1943. His parents were not Christians when Dr. Rebsamen was born, but they had been searching for answers to life that had been bothering them for years. Shortly after Dr. Rebsamen was born, his dad became a Christian at the Fellowship Conference Center in Liberty Corner, New Jersey. The very first time he heard God’s plan of salvation, he knew that this was what he was searching for and longing for. The peace that eluded him now came quietly into his heart and the fight was over. Six months later, Dr. Rebsamen’s mother, after much questioning and waiting for her husband to get over his “emotional experience” saw the reality of Jesus Christ in her husband’s life and she too invited Christ into her heart. From that moment on, they began to pray that the son that God had given to them would someday be a minister. They never stopped praying and God honored their tenacity.
As a young teenager at Pinebrook Bible Conference in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, Dr. Rebsamen heard the call of God and surrendered his life fully and completely to whatever and wherever God would lead.
Dr. Rebsamen finished his high school days at Houghton Academy, Houghton, New York, a private Christian Preparatory School affiliated with Houghton College. Upon graduation, he entered Barrington College, Barrington, Rhode Island and carried a double major in Psychology-Bible and Theology. It was at Barrington College where God cemented His call on Dr. Rebsamen’s life for the ministry.
Dr. Rebsamen’s ministry began as Assistant to the Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Brockton, Massachusetts. Following his time there he felt God leading him to Calvary Bible Church, Lewistown, Pennsylvania. From there he went to serve as Associate Pastor at the Chapel, Buffalo, New York where he ministered with Dr. James W. Andrews who started the Church. After serving there for five years, the Lord very clearly called Dr. Rebsamen to Calvary Memorial Church, Philadelphia, PA. In June 2004, Dr. Rebsamen celebrated his 30th Anniversary at Calvary.
Burning in Dr. Rebsamen’s heart is his love for World Missions. The church’s mission program has grown and each year they host a World Missions Conference that attracts some seventy to seventy-five missionaries from all over the world. The congregation is greatly involved in this program and is very enthusiastic.
Dr. Rebsamen makes frequent trips to the Mission Field to minister to missionaries and to speak at Pastor’s Conferences as well as to counsel missionaries needing encouragement and direction. He has been to Europe several times, India, the Orient and the Middle East. He went to Russia in September 1994 to speak at the largest gathering of Russian Pastor’s in the history of the former Soviet Union. Dr. Rebsamen has also visited some of our own missionaries from our church serving in the Philippines. His latest trip was to India in September 2003. He ministered with ‘The Hymnz” at a large Missions and Pastors Conference. Some 400-500 Indian Pastor’s were present.
In June 1993, Pastor Rebsamen received his Doctorate Degree from The Southern California Theological Seminary.
Dr. Rebsamen married his first wife Jane Andrews upon graduating from college. They had three children together, three boys. After a lengthy battle with cancer, God called Jane home to Heaven. God in His perfect comfort, allowed Dr, Rebsamen to meet and marry Ann Troxell of Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Ann has made a huge impact on Dr. Rebsamen and our church.