September 3, 2001
Gibsons are heart and soul of lake's resort ministry
___By Dan Martin
___Texas Baptist Communications
___PALO PINTO--His official title is "coordinator," but those who know him say Cy Gibson is the heart, soul, spirit, driving force and sometimes sugar daddy of Possum Kingdom Resort Ministries.
___Gibson and his wife, Barbara, were latecomers to the resort ministry at the sprawling lake.
___Possum Kingdom Resort Ministries got started in the mid-1970s, growing out of asurvey. The early efforts were led by Bill Alexander, then pastor of First Baptist Church of Graford. In the beginning, the rural church attempted to use church members to provide day camps and worship services in the various residential areas and campgrounds around the lake.
BARBARA and Cy Gibson are the mainstays behind Possum Kingdom Resort Ministries.
___"The results showed all involved that the project was too large for a small rural church to maintain but that a need for the work was there," Gibson said.
___Plans were made to create a non-profit organization and to form an inter-associational ministry. Possum Kingdom Resort Ministry was formed with a nine-member board of directors, three each from the three supporting associations of Cisco, Salt Fork and Palo Pinto.
___The Gibsons, who live at Gaines Bend on the lake, are 30-year members of First Baptist Church of Palo Pinto.
___Gibson became coordinator of the ministry in 1979. Each year, he and his wife recruit, train and supervise a team of as many as six people. He makes trips to churches, associations, schools and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to recruit workers.
___Across the years, he estimates, 125 people have served on the staff, and 200 church groups have participated in the ministry, representing about 2,000 young people and their leaders.
___He also estimates the team ministers to about 200 people a week for 15 weeks each summer. That means the ministry perhaps has touched the lives of 75,000 people.
___The exposure to resort ministry at Possum Kingdom has a positive effect on the volunteers as well as those to whom they minister, Gibson reported. "For the vast majority of them, the summer work deepens their own spiritual experience, and most have gone on to additional service. Not all of them are church professionals, but they continue to contribute in the areas where they work and live."
___As coordinator, Gibson oversees the finances. The budget for 2001 was $17,000, most going for modest salaries of the team. Funding comes from individuals, churches, the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the three associations, although contributions have declined.
___The real cost is more like $20,000, Mrs. Gibson reported, adding that her husband often makes up the difference himself. "He says it is too important to let it go broke," she explained.
___"When I travel and see recreation areas that local churches make no effort to provide a witness in, I am more encouraged to continue our work at Possum Kingdom Lake and to continue to improve that work," he said.
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