Bud Gibbs is eternally thankful that God's calling is without repentance. His greatest blessing has been that in spite of not being faithful for a season, God in his grace has been faithful to him. His testimony reflects how God's grace cares for the wounded and broken-hearted, so much so His Lord conveys His grace, love, and mercy each day that Bud walks with his Savior, Jesus. His greatest cause is to clearly proclaim the biblical teaching of God's word in such a way that each one he comes in contact with would be challenged to bring their lives into a practical application of the biblical principals he teaches. Because he has experienced the pain of family dysfunction, the effects of drugs and alcohol in his family's life and has been touched by the masks families wear, his heart is to love people and communicate the love of Christ to families, teens, step-families and those incarcerated.

Bud was a sergeant in the United States Army, a school teacher, and a twenty year servant with the government working in the Health Department and Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Once He finished his tour of duty in the army and was honorably discharged, he returned home only to embrace the life style of the early eighties. Finally, with the prayer of his grandmother he submitted to the Lord, giving his heart to Christ and within a few weeks of that decision yielded to God's calling to teach His word and share his faith with others. God's particular call upon Bud was full-time ministry within the church family teaching His word.

Once Bud yielded to God's call upon his life, he graduated from Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri with a degree in Theology and Biblical Studies. As his family struggles grew more intense he left the ministry to go to work for the state of Florida. Bud's nearly 20 years in government employment while running from the call of God upon his life, left him a very successful career, but a bankrupt and emotionally destroyed spiritual walk, heart and family. Finally, as he again looked to his Lord he repented; yielding to the Lord's calling and accepted a promotion within the Department of Corrections, leaving his officer duties to become a Chaplain communicating the love of Christ and the principals from God's word to those living behind prison walls.

Bud has served in the pastoral ministry the last four years as a chaplain with the Department of Corrections. In his secular career he was a teacher, football coach, health educator counseling those with HIV and Aids and worked in bio-terrorism as a regional manger in Southwest Florida, and culminating his government work as a Chaplain.

Upon Bud's retirement from the state of Florida and with his renewed commitment to teach God's word and serving families and step-families, the Lord brought him to New Hope Community Church in November 2010. It is here that Bud's goal is to be a servant within New Hope Community Church's First Impression Ministry and the Ignite Youth Ministry with a heart to communicate God's word to the teens, parents, families, and those hurting families much like his own. He has begun to communicate biblical principals in the worship services, teaching the teens, helping with administration while serving the Lead Pastor, Eddie Dejesus, the Associate Pastor, New Hope Community Church's leadership team and church family.