Website:
http://jeangibson.org
All material used by Permission of the Author
Otis Jean Gibson (1921-2006) was a graduate of Baylor University (B.A. 1943). Beyond this he sought no advanced degrees. He preferred to be called a "bond servant of the Lord Jesus." The degree he sought, and now found, is A.U.G. (Approved Unto God). He was a baptized member of a Protestant liturgical denomination, but he was not born again until 1946 after serving in the U.S. Marines during WW II. His conversion experience led him to abandon his desire to become a Texas Lawyer. After short stints as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, he went into a business career and worked with the U.S. Veterans Administration. This led him to a pharmaceutical manufacturer where he rose to the position of Western Regional Manager. During this time he took up true Bible teaching and was invited to teach many Bible conferences, national and international.
In 1973 William MacDonald, long-time friend and author of numerous books and commentaries, invited Jean to join him in starting an Intern Discipleship Training program in San Leandro, California. Fairhaven Bible Chapel, a church which Jean had helped found, became the hub for this powerful ministry from 1973 to 2000. Mr. Gibson sacrificially poured his life into training over 200 young leaders to serve Christ, most of whom are in foreign mission fields worldwide. Others who were in the IDT program are church leaders, teachers, and many foreign nationals. Jean's gifts in shepherding and evangelism have led to thousands of people coming to know the Lord personally and to the strengthening of churches worldwide through mature, Bible-believing saints. His efforts in training young men and women in spiritual reproduction have led to hundreds of churches planted throughout the world.
He has written and published such books as Survey of Basic Christianity, Basic Christian Training, Intermediate Christian Training, Advanced Christian Training, Living Discipleship Principles, The Dynamic Church, I am a Christian-True or False, and a counseling course in disciple-making. He has newer books entitled Accuracy of Scripture with accounts of fulfilled prophecies, Answers to Bible Critics, and Creation or Evolution.
Another Bio from intro to one of his books
Otis Jean Gibson has written and published in more than thirty languages millions of copies of his seven books and Bible training manuals for church use. He has helped train more than two hundred leaders in discipleship, evangelism, leadership, preaching, and counseling. At least 40% of them are on the international mission field. Others are church-planters, elders, deacons, youth leaders, and key teachers worldwide. The Discipleship Intern Training Program (D.I.T.P.), which was begun in association with author and teacher William MacDonald, is responsible for most of this training. Mr. Gibson has called Mr. MacDonald “the most influential man in my Christian life.â€
The author was a baptized, active member of a mainline Protestant denomination. He was president of his youth group and an altar boy. He attended a Christian university, yet he never remembers a single person inquiring about his soul or questioning the reality of his salvation hope. He had a Bible, knew its stories, recited the creeds, sang the hymns, but had no comprehension of the message of the Gospel. This has resulted in a life-long concern about false professions and improperly grounded hope for eternal salvation. He is a believer in salvation by grace alone, through faith in the Gospel offer, apart from works. He accepts no labels such as Calvinism (reformed), Armenian or other labels. When asked what kind of Christian he is (a label), he replies, “plain vanilla.â€
He was converted in June 1946 after years of vainly seeking satisfaction in pleasure, travel, religion, and glory which he sought when joining the U.S. Marines as a volunteer immediately after the attack on U.S. forces in December 1941. After serving in the South Pacific, he was released from duty, still feeling an emptiness in the “God-shaped vacuum†within. After being led providentially to the San Francisco Bay Area to visit a friend and former Marine colleague, he was guided by the Lord to a Bible believing church which had an evening class for inquirers established by the Navigators ministry. There he learned the Gospel. Shortly thereafter, in a solitary room which he occupied as a single man, he knelt and surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ without any reservations.
Thereafter, he worked for the Pacific Coast edition of the Wall Street Journal as a business reporter. Then he entered service with the US Veterans’ Administration. From there he entered the pharmaceutical industry and became Western Sales Manager and Assistant National Sales Director. While in business, he witnessed to business associates and preached at Christian business organizations, Bible conferences, and youth camps throughout the nation. In 1973 he gave up his position in business to become a full-time preacher who lived by faith alone. MacDonald’s urging to do this was a decisive influence. He helped plant a church, establish training ministries, and co-taught the Intern Program with MacDonald. He was an elder for almost fifty years.