Mark and Claire Gibson

 

Mark and Claire Gibson

 

Living and ministering in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

 

 

Our Story:

 

Mark: I was born and raised in southern California. I studied electrical engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, where I became a believer in Jesus Christ in 1964. After graduation from college, I joined the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ, being assigned to the University of Idaho, where I got to know and love Claire Karlstad.

 

Claire: I also was born and raised in southern California. I grew up in a Christian family and became a believer in Jesus Christ at an early age. However, as a student at UCLA, through my involvement with Campus Crusade for Christ, I really began to follow Jesus. After graduating with a degree in English literature, I joined CCC staff and was assigned to the University of Idaho, where I met Mark and we fell in love. After a year, we were married.

 

Both:

CCC. After our wedding in California we returned to Idaho, where we worked another year in the campus ministry of CCC. This was followed by a year at CCC international headquarters—as computer programmer and secretary—and then we were assigned to the European headquarters, where we assisted the European director in administrative work for 3 years. During this time our son, Luke, was born. With a desire to get back into personal ministry, we returned to the U.S. and were assigned to Penn State University, where we served a year and a half working with students.

 

Portland, Oregon. After 8 years of ministry with Campus Crusade (1967-1975), we were led to attend Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon, in order to better prepare for a lifetime of ministry by studying pastoral ministry and missions. During my years at seminary, we were deeply involved in Damascus Community Church in a variety of ministries and came to love this particular local church, as well as to have a vision for what every local church can be. We gained much practical experience in church ministry. Our other two children, Matthew and Chrischona, were born during our 6 years in Oregon. During this period I also became interested in serving God again in Europe, especially in the area of church planting. I spent a month in 1979 traveling through German-speaking Europe visiting churches, missionaries and Bible-schools, looking at opportunities to serve God in that part of the world.

 

Vienna, Austria. After 6 years in Portland (1975-1981), Damascus Community Church sent us out to work in Vienna, Austria, with an Austrian church. The goal was to plant another church in another part of the city. Together with others from the mother church, we started the Southeast Vienna Church. There I served as one of the leaders for the next 8 years. When the church decided to disband and the members moved to other churches, we got involved in the Quellenstrasse Church, another evangelical church in Vienna. Later I served in the leadership there until our departure from Vienna in 1998.

 

BEE/Entrust. In 1989 I, Mark, was asked to assist the work of BEE (Biblical Education by Extension) in East Germany. When BEE decided not to continue its work there after the reunification of Germany, I switched over to the Romanian team and started working there in the summer of 1990. During the next 8 years, I served as a training group leader with various churches, also helping to establish training centers and churches throughout Romania. This was parallel to my work in the Austrian church in Vienna.

 

Cluj-Napoca, Romania. In 1998, after all our children had returned to the USA for studies and work, the two of us moved to Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in order to continue working with BEE International (now named Entrust). I, Mark, have continued to work with the various denominations, although my emphasis for most of this time was on developing a training system within the Pentecostal Union. After turning over the responsibility for the work of Entrust/BEE in Romania to Romanians (Fundatia EBE), I have been involved in other ministries of Entrust, including helping to develop a training program in the Republic of Moldova with the Pentecostal Union there and serving as Entrust Co-Vice-President for Field Ministries for 2 years (2005-2007). I have also served in the Faclia Pentecostal Church in Cluj in the areas of prayer, training, and leadership.

 

Discipleship. Presently, I, Mark, am involved in various ministries involving discipleship. Together with my two Entrust colleagues, we have been assisting in the development of a discipleship strategy in several churches in the Republic of Moldova, as well as offering discipleship training seminars in various churches in Romania. In addition, I am seeking to make multiplying disciples among the Gypsies in Cluj and two nearby villages. Along with the practical ministry of discipleship, I am in the process of re-writing the Entrust course on evangelism and discipleship.

 

Gypsies. For the last 10 years we have both been involved in serving the poor, especially Gypsies, in Cluj and the surrounding area. This has involved much material help, as well as help with medical and legal problems. We have also sought to present the Gospel and discuss the Bible with some of them. This ministry has brought us both joy and sadness, both friendship and hostility, both fulfillment and stress.  

 

 

To make gift to Mark and Claire click here and select "Gibson, Mark & Claire" under the Missionary pull down. For information on other ways to give click here.

 

 

For more updates and stories click on the links below to view Mark and Claire's newsletters.

 

 

To read about Entrust's work in Romania click here.

 

 

 

NameSizeTypeLast Modified
Gibson - 2009 04152.3 KBPDF Document12/17/2009 11:23:20 AM
Gibson - 2009 06119.3 KBPDF Document12/17/2009 11:23:21 AM
Gibson - 2009 09221.0 KBPDF Document12/17/2009 11:23:22 AM
Gibson - 2009 1278.4 KBPDF Document12/17/2009 11:23:23 AM
Gibson - 2010 03159.8 KBPDF Document3/17/2010 10:26:17 AM