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Jordan Carl
(J.C.) Hibbard was born in Navasota, Texas on January 16, 1909 and
was one of the most prominent Pentecostal preachers that God has ever called to the
ministry. For over 50 years, he fulfilled his calling to spread the Gospel
throughout the world. Thousands of lives have been touched and redirected through
his ministry, including worldwide mission projects throughout the world.
J.C. Hibbard is
very much alive today and living in Heaven with most assured high
rank. He left here to be at his present home and mansion on
June 12, 1980 after establishing, designing and building the 5,000
member
Gospel
Lighthouse Church in Dallas, Texas. He also
carried the Gospel of Jesus Christ to thousands through his programs
on
KSKY
radio and KXTX-TV in addition to numerous books and tapes.
J.C. was married to
Lillian Bertha Greiwe in
1927. J.C. loved to dance and he and Lillian won several
prizes for their dancing as they enjoyed this very much. Soon
after their marriage, he became a Christian. God began to deal
with him to preach the Word Of God, but J.C. was hesitant. He
had always said, "There are two things I don't want to be, and both
of them are a preacher."
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When their first
daughter,
June Marie was born, she became ill with double
bronchial pneumonia. After a while of soul-searching and
prayer, J.C. told God that if He would heal June Marie that he would
obey His call for him to preach. June was healed and J.C.
started preaching. J.C. and Lillian had a good marriage
for several years and three children were born to them.
June Marie,
Jay and
Dolores. |
Rev. J.C. Hibbard
pastored in several places throughout Texas. God finally led him to
Dallas where he founded and became pastor of the Oak Cliff Assembly
Of God Church after a revival in Dallas by Amie Simple McPhearson where
many people had made decisions to follow Jesus.
Rev. J.C.
Hibbard was one the pastors of the Oak Cliff Assembly of God
Church in Dallas, Texas and later established and built the Gospel Lighthouse Church in
Dallas, Texas where he began a weekly radio broadcast on KSKY in
December 1940. The Hibbard Family Singers continued the program for
over 40 years. This 1937 photograph shows Rev. J.C. Hibbard (left),
his first wife,
Lillian B. Greiwe-Hibbard-Ash
and musicians and singers at a WRR Radio broadcast in Dallas.
He worked
and sacrificed, but found little time for anything but his ministry.
Lillian had problems with his ministry and it eventually caused a
split in their marriage in 1938. J.C. never lost his dedication to
the Lord or his focal point upon the calling God had called him
to. He simply would not let anything or anyone come between himself
and his ministry.
Since the Assemblies Of God have always had definite rules
within their constitution concerning divorce, there was much controversy
among Assemblies people and pastors.
In order to keep peace among Christians within Pentecostal
circles, Brother and Sister Hibbard left that denomination.
They always fellowshipped freely with Assemblies people and have
even had various Assemblies Of God trained staff at the church,
but have always remained separate.
In 1973, after the leaving to be with the Lord of
Lillian B. Greiwe-Hibbard-Ash, the Assemblies Of God called and offered
Brother and Sister Hibbard an opportunity to be reinstated as Assemblies Of God
ministers. J.C. said, "God continued to bless the Oak Cliff Assembly Of God
Church when they left, and it was certain that the Gospel Lighthouse had been blessed
independently of the Assemblies Of God. When we left the Assemblies Of God as an
act of love and established The Gospel Lighthouse, it would be wrong to change any of
that. So we will stay an independent church."
Together, after leaving the Assembly Of God denomination,
with the help and guidance of the Lord, they built
The Gospel Lighthouse Church. In
1940, thirty individuals began conducting church services in the Roger Q. Mills Elementary
School in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas. Services were held there for three months
and laid the organizational groundwork for
The Gospel Lighthouse Church, also in the Oak
Cliff area of Dallas.
Over a period of time in its golden years, this was to
become one of the largest independent Pentecostal churches in the world. Property
was purchased in the 1900 block of South Ewing Avenue. A circus tent was bought,
erected and became the home of the church for approximately a year.
Within the same year, Pastor Hibbard began erecting the
first building that would seat around 600. J.C., full of faith, always prayed for
the congregation and conducted healing services. During the construction of this
first building, a young boy with a paralyzed arm came to J.C. for prayer. J.C. took
off his hat and leather gloves and prayed with several other men. After the prayer,
in less than 10 minutes the boy was pulling nails with the arm that had been
paralyzed. He was completely healed. This became typical of their ministry.
December 6, 1942 a radio
broadcast that was to become a tradition in North Central Texas began.
It was called
The Hibbard Family
and KSKY radio in Dallas broadcast this program for over 40 years.
Four decades of people, soldiers, doctors, lawyers, laymen, and literally
every ethnic group were blessed by this great ministry and its teaching.
J.C., his church and his family stand as a testimony to what the dedication
of an individual can do in building a ministry in the Word of God.
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