Bahnmeier stu­died first at Tü­bing­en, then was ap­point­ed as­sist­ant to his fa­ther in 1798. He be­came Di­a­co­nus at Mar­bach on the Neck­ar in 1806, and at Lud­wigs­burg in 1810, where for a time he head­ed a young la­dies’ school. In 1815, he was ap­point­ed Pro­fess­or of Ed­u­ca­tion and Ho­mi­le­tics at Tü­bing­en, but in the trou­ble­some times that fol­lowed had to re­sign his post. In 1819, he was ap­point­ed De­can and Town Preach­er at Kirch­eim-un­ter-Teck, where he served 21 years.

Bahnmeier was a dis­tin­guished preach­er, great­ly in­ter­est­ed in the caus­es of ed­u­ca­tion, mis­sions, and Bi­ble so­ci­e­ties. He was al­so a lead­er on the com­mit­tee which com­piled the Würt­tem­berg Ge­sang­buch of 1842. He preached his last ser­mon at Kirch­eim on Au­gust 15, 1841. Two days lat­er he held a vi­sit­a­tion at Owen. While in­spect­ing the school at the ad­ja­cent vil­lage of Bruck­er, he had a prob­a­ble stroke, and was tak­en back to Owen, where he died.

1. Jesu als du wied­er­kehrt­est
   • Jesu, when Thou Once Re­turn­est
2. Walte, fürd­er, nah und fern
   • Far and Near, Al­mighty Word
   • Go Forth, Thou Mighty Word of Grace
   • O Word of God, Reign Ev­ery­where
   • Spread, O Spread, Thou Mighty Word
   • Spread Thy Tri­umph Far and Nigh
   • Word of God! with Glo­ry Crowned