by Lee Pierre
Kathy Garrison, a native of Roanoke, has compiled a book, “Ignite Truth Sketches by Kathy” detailing the situations, relationships, and circumstances in traditional Black churches.
Garrison grew up in Roanoke County, attended public schools, and graduated from Northside High School. As a child, one of her dreams was to be a soldier so after graduation, she enlisted and dedicated over eight years of active duty in the U.S. Army serving in various stations throughout the U.S. and Germany as well as 18 months in the Iraq War. Upon being honorably discharged she enrolled in American National University in Salem, VA, where she received a Master of Business Administration Degree.
Garrison is a devout member of Bible Teachers International and feels that the teachings she’s gaining from BTI have made her aware of what was missing in her life. To her, it was a rude awakening when she realized that the traditional church was not the place for her, and her book delivers a different message than one may expect.
Dr. Mary Banks founded Bible Teachers International in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 1984. It is a multifaceted, nondenominational corporate ministry committed to worldwide evangelism whose emphasis is on soul-winning, community outreach, and the development of ministers whose primary focus is not on worldly gain or status, but on service to God and man.
“The book inspired by God quotes mainly scripture. While sketching, I became an observer of my own sketches,” Garrison said.
She further stated that the people appeared to be in distress as if they needed help and felt the Lord was telling her there are people in the world who actually live this type of life and are in dire need of guidance.
“I saw my book as a way of reaching out to people,” she added.
The individual chapters focus on repentance, purpose, salvation, faith, suffering, oneness, and Jesus, developed in a way suitable for all ages.
“I know God in a different way and love to share what I know. There are certain stigmas and limitations in traditional churches, especially the churches where the pastor and leaders govern the people according to their own knowledge and skills with praise given to them rather than the Lord.”
While attending a traditional church, Garrison said it didn’t matter what she did or said to others because she was never held accountable for her behavior outside of the church. One such illustration in the book depicts a woman dancing provocatively and the caption reads “Miss Sunday School Superintendent Saturday night at a company party.” Garrison explains that in traditional churches people are placed into high positions based on their secular skills rather than their holiness.
The primary audience she hopes to reach is the traditional churches and to encourage others to develop a personal relationship with God rather than honoring and bowing down to the pastors and church leaders. The book is an easy read and is in no way a brow beater. The depictions are colorful as well as relatable as in one sketch where the handsomely drawn man states ‘I always been fine, ever since my 16th birthday.’
She credits the quote to Ezekiel 28 and explains how some people are beautiful which tends to make them become self-absorbed instead of using their looks to glorify God and raise souls to Christ.
BTI leaders teach the body of Christ how to apply God’s principles to their real-life situations and as a result, many have moved to a higher level of spiritual comprehension of God’s Word and into a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. On a recent missionary trip to Freeport, Bahamas, Garrison states she was invited because she is being groomed to become a minister since the leadership feels that she has the necessary ability to do so.
“I don’t have a leadership role or title now however my first and foremost title is that I am a servant who reconciles souls back to God and my main objective is to please my Maker.”
Gathering the lost, one sheep at a time (BTI motto).
