We commissioned the Gibson Meeting Room at our campus, Emerald Hills, in honor of Bob Gibson, a long-loved co-worker and friend at Team Expansion. Bob’s legacy continues to shape us as individuals and an organization.
by Doug Lucas, President of Team Expansion
I’m here today representing the 383 full-timers with whom Bob Gibson served since 1996. Since that convention in Lexington, Kentucky, Bob has been “the voice inside my head” in so many meetings and with so many decisions.
Bob typified the consummate helper. He had so much in common with so many people. And if he met someone with whom he had nothing in common, he would just create something. He helped us so much at Emerald Hills, Team Expansion’s home base, partly because he loved the land. He had grown up on a farm and farming had been part of his life – which involved so much of everything we do there. He also helped people move. Every time there was a U-Haul truck involved, he was on it, helping load and unload. And for well over 20 years, while serving our organization, he refused to take a cent as salary. He was a perfect helper.
Bob also had a huge heart. Among his many roles over the years, he served as a Field Coordinator for families in countries all over the world – and Marbeth served with him. I was fortunate enough to accompany them on some of those journeys. It was so fun to watch them serving together. Sometimes, their attitudes could only be described as “giddy” for the Lord and for those missionaries and their children. Across the years, he attended countless funerals, loved kids, showed tender compassion to many, loved his own family and Marbeth’s as well. Most of all, he loved Marbeth, and he loved her well. She was such a treasure for him to find – the treasure for which he had been searching all his life.
Bob was incredibly humble — almost self-deprecating. He was a man who understood brokenness. That seemed to create in him a sense that he never wanted to presume that he had arrived. Instead, he was always a life-long learner. He was a question-asker. He never considered himself an expert. It was a tremendous model for us.
And finally, Bob was a hopeful soul. He opened 4 Bible bookstores during his time. He never gave up. And even though he was a full-time missionary with Team Expansion, he also became one of our best donors, too! He beat me to work every morning. He was always there. He was one of our best mobilizers and one of our best prayer warriors (even through this most recent epoch when he was stuck at home with an oxygen machine). He believed strongly in disciple-making movement (DMM) strategy. In fact, this past June, we invited Bob to speak to our entire global workforce at our InterConnect Gathering. And he did GREAT at it.
We’re so grateful for Bob. I’m so grateful for him personally. He was closer to me than I am to my own brothers. His office was right beside mine. I’ll never, ever, ever forget him. Thank you Bob.
