Grace Community Church Honors Retiring Pastor

This story was submitted by George Derringer, a member of the church.

It was a different town and a different congregational feeling in September 1979 when the Rev. Robert M. Dibbs became the pastor of a Marblehead church.

Dibbs and his wife, Elaine, were honored June 18 at Hamilton Hall in Salem by current and past members of the Grace Community Church congregation for the couple’s more than 31 years of service to the church. He is the longest-serving pastor of the church since its founding in 1810 but will retire at the end of June. The celebration drew former members from as far as Chicago and Atlanta.

During a short program, current associate pastor Brian Prue said Dibbs had been a “role model” and given him “a sense of how much my ministry must stand on the firm foundation of the word of God.” Prue has served seven years as youth pastor and associate.

Gregg Brackman of Swampscott, a five-year member of the congregation once called the First Baptist Church of Marblehead, said “from Day One, I knew God had placed Pastor Bob in my life so I could grow closer to God. He has been a true shepherd to us all.”

Randal E. Smith, pastor of the LifePoint Church in Lynn for the past 19 years, said he met Dibbs at meetings of EAGLE, an interdenominational pastors’ group that meets weekly in Lynn. Smith said he was quickly impressed that Dibbs “knew more Greek and Hebrew (original languages of the Bible) than any of my friends.” Dibbs and Smith are now the most senior members of the EAGLE group but all agree that Dibbs “is the sage in the group.” Smith said.

Smith noted that Bob and Elaine Dibbs have been through high spots and low times, including the tragedy when they lost a daughter, Kris, to Hodgkin’s disease, but added that the couple never failed to “come alongside” parishioners in need.

Elaine Dibbs told the crowd of about 150 that what pleases her most is observing “how God has grown and changed you all. God has given us the privilege to see that.”

Rev. Dibbs said the oneness of the crowd was “like a taste of heaven” and said that while Jesus spent his ministry discipling 12 men, God had given him an opportunity to teach even more people. Quoting Paul’s biblical writings to the church in Thessalonica, Dibbs said his hope is in the people whom he has tried to serve throughout his ministry.

In earlier celebrations, Dibbs said the congregation joined him in changing not only the name of the church but also its style since 1979.

“The New England ‘woodenness’ is gone, and the members, especially the older ones, have been extraordinarily gracious in embracing changes to the service, the way the church performs ministry and music,” he said. “Years ago, no one would have dreamed of a worship band in the church's sanctuary and now it is a permanent fixture.” And the church is now interdenominational, having dropped its Baptist affiliation.

Finally, a group of church pastors and other leaders gathered around the honored couple to pray for their “new season of ministry” after their retirement. They will continue to live in their Marblehead home.

Grace Community Church describes itself as “a community of Christ-followers whose passion is to worship God, know Christ better and discover how the Bible applies to our daily lives.” The majority of its members live in Marblehead, Swampscott and Salem.

For more information:

Grace Community Church

17 Pleasant St.

Marblehead MA 01945

781-631-9343

info@gracemarblehead.org

Website: www.gracemarblehead.org