Bishop Robert F. Hibbs, Sr., 58, of New Bedford died Saturday May 31, 2003 at St. Luke's Hospital after a long illness. He was the husband of Louise (Stringer) Hibbs, whom he married in 1967.
Born in Boston, the son of the late Francis and Leokadia (Jagodynski) Hibbs, he moved to Lynn at an early age. He was a graduate of Lynn Classical High School, Class of 1962. He attended the Gospel Tabernacle Bible School from 1964-1967.
Under the direction of the late district Elder Lysle Jordan of Lynn, he was baptized in Jesus' Name and filled with the Holy Spirit in 1964. Led to the Lord by Bishop Witcher, he attended the Gospel Tabernacle Church in Boston where he was ordained to the ministry by Bishop Obie Williams, presiding pastor. He served as the Assistant Pastor of the Gospel Tabernacle from 1970-1972. He moved to New Bedford in 1977 to become the pastor of the Apostolic Faith Assembly. He later founded the Church of Jesus Christ of All Nations where he served as pastor for many years. In 1984, the late Bishop Robert Green of Bronx, New York, ordained him as a Bishop in the Apostolic Faith.
Bishop Hibbs had served as the president of the Massachusetts State Council of the Pentacostal Assemblies of the World. Prior to his full-time ministerial service, he had been employed by the General Electric Company in Lynn for 13 years.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Rev. Robert F. Hibbs, Jr. and his wife Janice of New Bedford; a daughter, Stacey Young and her husband Troy of New Bedford; a foster daughter, Sherry Lopes of Atlanta, Georgia; a brother, Arthur Hibbs of North Andover; 2 sisters, Lori Duff of Peabody and Phyllis Caliri of Lynn; 8 grandchildren, Tre-Zahn Hibbs, Shai-Del Hibbs, Tina Hibbs, Timothy Hibbs, Shaniah Hibbs, Shawn Miller, Navisha Davis, and Christopher Lopes; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Easter and George Stringer of Glenwood, Alabama; sveral sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law; and a host of nieces, nephews, and spiritual children.He was the father of the late Tina Louise Hibbs, and brother of the late Walter S. Hibbs.
His Homegoing Service will be held on Saturday June 7, 2003 at 8 AM in the Church of Jesus Christ of All Nations, 105 Purchase St., New Bedford. Burial will follow in Rural Cemetery.