What is Give Me That Book?
GMTB is a non-profit religious corporation dedicated to the promotion of the authority and sufficiency of the Bible, God’s Book; so that the Church of God might clearly and fully testify to the greatness and goodness of her Lord, Jesus Christ.
Who is the Founder of GMTB?
Dr. Gary L. Rieben is the founder and President of Give Me That Book [GMTB] ministries. He has spent 40 years in full time vocational Ministry as Senior Pastor in Santa Barbara, Ca. [14 years] and San Diego, Ca. [12 years]. He is a graduate of Evangel University, B.A.; and Fuller Seminary, Master of Divinity; Doctor of Ministry. He is a past teacher and Board member of Biblical Counseling Foundation, Palm Desert Ca..
Gary and his wife, Barbara, are presently missionaries to Malawi, Africa. Gary is the director of Action Ministries Trust/GMTB with a banner that states its mission: “To display the beauty of Jesus by serving the most needy of Malawi through words of truth and works of love.” We presently feed 3000 orphans and widows three times a week, from January through April, during the time when food is scarce. We have planted a training center in Ntcheu, Malawi, called Mudzi Owala, Village of Light. It is devoted to being a city on a hill which cannot be hidden. It is stationed in the villages to display the glory of God to the people of Malawi.
We have also founded Action Malawi School of the Bible (AMSOB) to train church leaders in theology and the right handling and preaching of the Word of God. After graduation, August 2023, we will have graduated over 900 church leaders who completed the two year curriculum in the 10 years of the school’s existence. GMTB also provide scholarship for high school students, Bibles to village churches, goats to widows who take care of orphans. Our graduated students have planted hundreds of new churches in Malawi and Mozambique, with testimonies of whole villages and their chiefs turning to the Lord for salvation. We are privileged and grateful that in the last days of our lives, the Lord has allowed Barbara and myself to glorify our precious Lord by serving the precious people of Malawi.
What is Mission of GMTB?
The Purpose of the Foundation is to bring glory to Jesus Christ by calling the church to return to full confidence in the sufficiency of God’s Written Word, the Bible. In his BOOK God speaks to men. In his Book he reveals his character, his purposes and his ways. In his Book he tells his people how to live a life that glorifies him and brings great joy to their souls. In the Book, God’s promises and commands enable people of faith to stand victorious against any storm that would howl against their lives [Mathew 7:23-24]. The truth found in the Book is far superior to the theories that come from the opinions of men [Psalm 1:1-3]. When God’s people pray, “open our eyes that we may see the wonderful things in Thy law,” [Psalm 119:18], the Spirit of God enables them to see and savor God’s purposeful, powerful, personal and practical blessings he has hidden there. It is our conviction that God is speaking clearly and directly to his church today. If we will place our trust in Him and devour every word that proceeds from his mouth” [Matthew 4:4], we will not only know the truth that sets us free [John 8:31-32], God will cause his word to work powerfully through us to accomplish His awesome purpose for His people [Isaiah 55:10-13]. Not only will God be wonderfully glorified, our hearts will be thoroughly satisfied. Then we will sing with the Psalmist:
“I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees. I will not neglect your word.” Psalm 119:14-16
What is our Strategy for mission?
- Bible Centered Materials: To proclaim the sufficiency of God’s Word by providing Bible saturated resources that demonstrate how purposeful, powerful, personal and practical God’s Word is.
- Leadership Seminars: To go to the ends of the earth in order to teach church leadership how the truth of God’s Word is sufficient for victory in every culture and circumstance of life.
- Multiplication of Missionaries: To recruit men and women to leave the comfort of home for the awesome and rewarding adventure of proclaiming the glory of Christ to the ends of the earth.
- Educating Children: To aid the church leadership of third world countries in their effort to teach their children to read so that they can discover for themselves the riches of Christ that are found in God’s Word.
- Serving Children: To demonstrate the love of Christ by working with local church leadership to meet the crisis needs of the children of their community.
- Prophetic Voice: To write prophetically and apologetically in order to help free the church from its dependence upon the changing theories of the world so that it might build upon the rock-solid truth of God’s Word.
- Physical needs: The people of Malawi live in one of the poorest countries of the world. There is great need everywhere. We do what we can with the resources God provides. (James 1:27)
- Theological Training. Establish a School of the Bible to train the spiritual leaders of Malawi how to study God’s Word; love God’s Word; counsel God’s Word; and preach God’s Word.
GMTB Board of Directors:
Dr. Gary Rieben, Palm Desert, California [Chairman]
Mike Ornee, Buellton, California [Secretary]
Paul Weingartner, Springfield, Missouri (Vice Chairman)
John Shock, Santa Barbara, California (Treasurer)
Duane Cilke, Kansas City Missouri
Richard Stanley, Plattsburg, Missouri