Elder Harter is the youngest son of Dr. Bernard Paul Harter, a former physician and surgeon in Winter Garden. Florida. He and his brother were raised in the Episcopal Church. At the young age of 12 he attended a summer camp sponsored by Hampden DuBose Academy in Zelwood, Florida. At an evening worship service, Brother Harter was convicted of being a sinner in need of a savior. While walking back to camp to spend the night, he was weeping tears of repentance. As he thought on his condition, he realized he was undeserving of the least of God’s mercy. He remembered the emphasis of the man of God that night, Christ died for sinners! He suddenly realized that’s what he was, a sinner! Tears of sorrow turned to tears of joy. Hope flooded his soul. He could hardly wait to share his experience with those where he was staying.
The experience burned in his mind and heart and was never forgotten. While attending the University of Florida in 1958, he married a beautiful young lady, Betty Jo Moch. In order to become a good husband and, in the future, a faithful father, he transferred to Southeastern Bible College in Birmingham, Alabama. After two years, he transferred to Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky. Upon completing undergraduate studies, he continued his education at Asbury Theological Seminary. During that time, he visited a Primitive Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky served by Lasserre Bradley, Jr. In just a few months he was convinced of the doctrines of grace proclaimed there, and rejoiced in the simple New Testament practice of worship. He had found his spiritual home.
Elder Harter went on to pastor Primitive Baptist churches in Kentucky for two years and then in Florida for seven years. At the same time he and Betty Jo were also the busy parents of 5 children. He was then called to the Atlanta area to pastor Bethany Primitive Baptist Church in November 1971. For 29 years he pastored Bethany and helped start churches in the Atlanta area and other parts of the country.
In 1994, the Harters had five grown children and 21 grandchildren when they felt God’s calling to adopt. By 1998, they had welcomed 13 adopted children into their family, ranging in age from three to sixteen. More would follow, but not in this country.
Evangelism has always been a priority for Elder Harter. Beginning in 1994, he traveled to the Philippine Islands to work with the ministers and congregations there. After several trips to those distant islands, he resigned as pastor of Bethany in May 2000 and in September, he and his wife and their 13 young children moved to the Philippines.
For over 7 years, Gus traveled, taught, and served the fast growing primitive baptist congregations of the Philippines. In that time he participated in the formation of over 100 new congregations and helped constitute over 60 as churches.
In the meantime, Betty Jo started a ministry of mercy called Beauty for Ashes, a clinic for malnourished children. In seven years, the clinic treated over 400 starving babies and young children. After recovering, some of these children had no place to go. So, the Harters took the next step in their care by building an orphanage for them. They also adopted 6 more children.
In 2008, Gus brought his family back to the United States. He served several months as co-pastor of Tyler Primitive Baptist Church in Tyler, TX. Soon, though, he traveled the last few hundred miles back home to Atlanta.
Bethany once again called him to be pastor in August 2008. He served the church through a large relocation and building project, moving the church from Tucker to Suwanee/Johns Creek.
In the summer of 2014, he took on a new challenge. He accepted a call from Ebenezer Church and the Lord willing, he will labor to build this historic church.
