Prerequisites for Approaching God

J.C. Hibbard
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J.C. Hibbard

Jordan Carl Hibbard (January 17, 1909 – March 26, 1980) was an American preacher and evangelist whose calling from God made him one of the most prominent Pentecostal voices of the 20th century, leading thousands to faith over five decades. Born in Pittsburg, Texas, to parents whose details are not widely documented, he grew up in a modest family and faced early hardship when his father died during his childhood. Converted at age 17 in 1926, he began preaching as a young Assemblies of God minister, pastoring several North Texas churches without formal theological education, relying instead on fervent personal study and the mentorship of revivalist Aimee Semple McPherson, whose 1934 Dallas crusade shaped his early ministry. Hibbard’s calling from God unfolded as he took the pulpit at Oak Cliff Assemblies of God in Dallas in 1934, capitalizing on McPherson’s regional impact. After his first marriage failed, he left the denomination and, with his second wife Nell, planted Gospel Lighthouse Church in South Dallas in 1940, growing it to over 5,000 members—one of the largest independent Pentecostal congregations globally. Ordained informally through his own ministry, he launched a radio broadcast on KSKY in 1942, preaching to thousands across Texas and beyond for 40 years, with sermons preserved on SermonIndex.net calling for salvation and holiness, often accompanied by reported miracles. Married to Nell, with children including J.C. Hibbard Jr., he passed away at age 71 in Dallas, still active in ministry, leaving a legacy of bold gospel proclamation.