When you listen to Eddie Gibson talk, the passion and conviction he has for changing his war-ravaged homeland is evident.
“I personally believe that the Lord saved me for the good of Liberia,” said Gibson, assistant pastor for missions at Sardis Road Baptist Church in Birmingham.
Painting a picture of Liberia, he tells of a nation whose infrastructure has been all but destroyed as a result of almost 20 years of military conflict. Gibson also tells of a land where “there are lots of evil things that go on — satanic things, demonic things.”
Gibson has dedicated himself to changing conditions in Liberia through Eddie Gibson International Ministries Inc. (EGIM). Along the way, he also hopes his fellow Liberians will begin a love affair with Jesus.
The ministry’s mission is “to empower people spiritually and economically by equipping and providing them the necessary tools that will enable them to maximize their God-given potential.”
“I still have the desire, the passion to do work among my own people in Liberia,” Gibson said. “Basically, that’s what is driving me right now.”
Among the work he hopes to accomplish through the ministry is the construction of a school in the eastern region of Liberia. He said land has been cleared for the school, which will be located in huts and provide villagers with an education up to a middle school level.
“People want to go to school, so that’s an avenue to present the gospel,” he said.
Gibson is also focused on helping farmers in Liberia, an effort that will keep the people fed and help families who are hurting financially.
“Along with the school, we want to do farming projects because there are no paying jobs in Liberia right now,” he said.
He pointed out that Liberia is a perfect area for farming.
“We have six rivers running across the country from north to south, we have six years of heavy rainfall, so the soil is very rich,” Gibson said. “That’s one way we can deliver our people.”
Gibson passionately describes other long range plans for Liberia that include the establishment of a community agricultural college that will not only educate Liberians, but also empower them to share Christ. “Those students who come in to go to school, we can teach the gospel and they can become leaders,” he said.
Gibson plans to return to Liberia Feb. 17–28 for a missions trip, during which time he will be accompanied by 15 of his supporters and will expound on his vision for Liberia’s future.
Gibson described the trip as a fact-finding mission in which he and his supporters will lead workshops for teachers, health care professionals and business people.
“The idea is to go in and get a feel, province by province, for what the needs are,” said William O’Brien, chairman of the EGIM board of advisers and a former professor at Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School.
Gibson, who is a graduate of Beeson, said the trip will also be a time to identify those in Liberia who are excited about sharing Christ.
“The people God has sent us, I think they’re excited about this ministry because God has touched their lives,” Gibson said. “They’ve listened to me and they’ve seen the need,” Gibson said.
O’Brien said he has also seen the commitment Gibson has for Liberia.
“He has never lost his passion for his people,” O’Brien said. “His vision is for a healthy nation, both spiritually and physically.”
“That’s why I think this February trip is very essential,” Gibson said. “I’ve been there; I know the need.
“But I think if people go and see for themselves, they can make a final judgment call,” he added.
Gibson might still be living in Liberia on a regular basis if not for the military turmoil that has engulfed the country. He first came to America in 1991 to attend Beeson after his ministry as assistant pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Monrovia was interrupted by civil war.
Undaunted, Gibson returned to Liberia with his wife, Charlesetta, and their two children, following his graduation. This time, he served as senior pastor at Providence before again being forced to flee the country with his family in 1996.
Social fabric destroyed
“We’ve had 10 years of military rule, which has of course degenerated everything — the social fabric of our society, educational institutions, morality,” Gibson said.
He said the conflict has also included nine years of “actual warfare” between the government and rebel factions.
“As a result of the war, we’ve had 10 years of no electricity, no clean water, school systems are down,” Gibson said. “But over those years, we’ve also realized that the hope has been provided by the church — a beacon of light to the community,” he said.
Gibson said reaching the people of Liberia is but the first step in transforming an entire continent. “If Liberia is stable and the gospel is being preached, it can be a conduit to reaching people within those West African communities like Sierra Leone, Guinea and others with densely populated Muslim communities,” he said.
“People come into Liberia for goods and services, and we can reach beyond Liberia’s borders.”
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