Rev. Dr. Yvonne Jones Bibbs Pastoral History and Community Biography

 

Dr. Bibbs serves as the 5th pastor of the Sixth Baptist Church, in Richmond Virginia. She was elected to serve the congregation as its fifth Pastor in January 2001. She is the first female to serve as pastor since its origin in 1923. Dr. Bibbs was installed on June 3rd, 2001. For 8 years the church enjoyed live broadcasts on WFTH radio, 1540 a.m., The Blessings and Miracles Broadcast and for several years a TV broadcast on FOX. Over the years the church continued to experience new growth in many ways including new disciples, 21st century ministries for all ages, reorganization of the music/media/fine arts ministry as well as organizing new choirs and reorganizing this ministry with one Director over all in addition to reorganizing our Youth and Young Adult Ministries.

 

 THE PASTOR’S PLATFORM FOR MINISTRY SINCE THE BEGINNING: WE ARE UNAPOLOGETICALLY EVANGELISTIC. Bible studies are held weekly in the community and other activities in schools and community centers as well as Feeding the Community and Taking It to The Streets. Over the years, Dr. Bibbs has lead the church with several renovation and building projects for phases one and two including installing an elevator, a prayer courtyard area, fencing for the parking lot, the purchase of two church vans, remodeling the entire church sanctuary with redesigning of the pulpit and choir loft, adding new pews, lighting, redesigning the media room, installation of television equipment, as well as a media screen for the sanctuary, an installation of three television monitors for the sanctuary, family altar room and nursery, renovation of the Church’s Lower Worship Center and Banquet Facility, redesigning all bathroom facilities, remodeling the kitchen to be commercial, purchase of a new wheelchair accessible church bus, redesigning a house to become a “Ministry House” for youth and bible studies. Also under Pastor Bibbs’ leadership was a purchase of a digital piano, the purchase of a beauty and barber shop/laundromat which was renovated in 2020 to become the Sixth Baptist Community Mission Center dedicated to God in October of 2020.  Pastor Bibbs also established Church Before and After School programs along with summer camps throughout her tenure until the recent coronavirus pandemic. She hopes to rekindle these programs in 2023.

The church is beginning a renovation of a property and looking forward to the renovation of other properties and buildings for community usage for children, youth, young adults and seniors.

 

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LEADING WITH FIVE YEAR THEMES:

After presenting the church with a vision and mission statement her first year, she leads the church with FIVE YEAR THEMES: FIRST FIVE YEARS (2001-2005) “LORD LIFT US UP WHERE WE BELONG”. SECOND FIVE YEARS (2006-2010): “CAN GOD? GOD CAN I CAN! I CAN DO ALL THIINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME”. THIRD FIVE YEARS, (2011-2015), “BECOMING A FIVE STAR CHURCH OF EXCELLENCE WITH WORD, WORSHIP AND WITNESS” AND 2016-2020), MOBILIZING FOR MINISTRY: “REFRESHING THE OLD AND EMERGING THE NEW”. During the recent Coronavirus pandemic and only virtual services from March 2020 to April 2022, Pastor Bibbs shared the fifth Five Year theme still using MOBILIZING FOR MINISTRY WITH A SUB-THEME #GO IN 2020 – 2021 and in 2022 sub theme “THRIVING.” 

 

Under Pastor Bibbs’ leadership and with the direction of the Re-Entry Coronavirus Task Force Team, services have been held in the sanctuary since March 2022, with the assistance of the SBC singers, instrumental team, and our media ministry. Monthly Park and Praise services are held in the church parking lot with a D.J. All services were live streamed from the sanctuary and/or the parking lot weekly since March 2020.  Church school and other meetings, revivals, Seven Last Expressions, etc. were held on the Zoom platform as well as conference call lines and presented on all social media platforms.

 

EDUCATION:

Dr. Bibbs matriculated at Fayetteville State University and Virginia Union University for a total of three years. After receiving her call into the Ministry, she transferred immediately to Richmond Virginia Seminary where she earned in 1982 the B.A in Religious Studies and Bachelor of Theology Degrees. In 1984 she earned a Master of Divinity from RVS. An honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from the Richmond Virginia Seminary was awarded in 1990. She earned a Doctor of Ministry Degree from the International College and Seminary in 1993. The Virginia University of Lynchburg awarded in 2003 an Honorary Doctor of Pastoral Leadership Degree presented to Pastor Bibbs at Sixth Baptist by the President and others on a Sunday morning.  After being called to lead the Sixth Baptist Church, Pastor Bibbs felt it was necessary to refresh her previous studies, so she enrolled in the International Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia and became certified in Church Administration.  Management and Leadership in 2002.  In 2006 she was awarded a diploma from the Baptist Theological University of Zimbabwe, South Africa after completing a four-year Pastoral Excellence Program sponsored by the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention.  She also was blessed to teach on the campus of the Baptist Theological Seminary in Zimbabwe to seminary students and also in other parts of Africa including Liberia, Nigeria and in Guyana in South, America.   She served as a professor at the Richmond Virginia Seminary for more than 18 years.  In May 2017. Virginia Union University awarded Dr. Bibbs during their commencement.

 

APPOINTMENTS:

In 2006 she was appointed by Governor Kaine to serve on the Virginia State Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers. Mayor Dwight C. Jones appointed her to the Richmond Anti-Poverty Commission in 2010 for two years working in the area of Education.

Governor Terri McAuliffe appointed Dr. Bibbs to the nine-member State Board of Corrections in 2014. Her tenure ended in 2018. Recently in December 2019, she also was asked by current Mayor Levar Stoney of Richmond to serve on his transition team. In 2019 Governor Ralph Northam appointed her to be a member of the Family & Children’s Trust Fund of Virginia as a Trustee. She will serve for 4 years and two terms if reappointed by the new governor. 

 

COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS:

Dr. Bibbs is a recipient of many other honors and serves on several other National, State, and local boards including Woman of the Year in Religious Education by the YWCA in the eighties.  Other community services: Henrico County Courts under Judge White – Volunteer: Juvenile Division (six years) Richmond Department of Corrections for Women (Halfway House) (12 years) YWCA Domestic Violence Task Force (4 years) Richmond American Red Cross (Disaster Team) and Board Member (3 years) Salvation Army-Feed the Hungry Task Force, volunteer (2 years) Volunteer Chaplain Richmond Memorial Hospital (12 Years) Volunteer Instructor House of Happiness for the Richmond OIC (3 years) Sorority Membership: National Coalition of Negro Women, Pitt County, Greenville North Carolina.

 

ENTREPRENEUR/VISIONARY:

Organized the Richmond Preparatory Christian Academy (Now Richmond Prep) in August 1983, first phase of 5 phases: Before and After School, Pre-School, Elementary and Middle School. Dr. Bibbs was married to late Mr. H. Clay Bibbs, II. She is the mother of one son, Dr. Jonathan Clay Bibbs.

Her motto: “I Can Do All Things through Christ Who Strengthens Me.”