Bob Gass 1944 –2019

Dear UCB family 

 

Today, we are sad to announce that the author of the UCB Word For Today, Bob Gass, passed away peacefully on the evening of the 5th June, at his home in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.  Bob’s wife, Debby has given us permission to share this with you, the UCB family, as we know that many of you will have been greatly impacted by his ministry.

 

Bob and Debby Gass have been great friends of UCB’s ministry from almost the very be­ginning. Bob had a unique style and a rare gift of taking the Word of God and applying it to everyday life. He wrote the UCB Word For Today – with the support of a great team – in a way that appealed to those who didn’t know God (so that it acted as an ‘appetiser’) and also helped more mature believers to go deeper in their faith (so that it acted as a ‘vitamin', especially in challenging times). 

 

In the early days, Bob was an itinerant preacher and also had a TV show in the US, but he did not think of himself as a writer. However, on his wedding day in 1991, he and Debby were given a prophecy that Bob’s writing would reach more people than his preaching ever would. Some time later, the UCB Word For Today became a written reality and from a small print run of 3,500 copies here in the UK, it now has a global reach through print and digital platforms of over 7.6 million per quarter. In the UK, we send it in print alone to over 400,000 people every quarter.

 

Bob’s heart was always that the readers would get deeper into the Word of God. It has nev­er been about ‘him’ or his ministry, but about seeing lives changed for good. Bob and I have spent hours in my office and on the phone, sharing (and debating!) our thoughts on areas of God’s Word, thinking about new ways to reach people with the truth of Scripture.

 

Bob himself, actually planned for this day several years ago. The readers of the UCB Word For Today were always at the front of his mind. As he grew older, he and the team wanted to ensure the UCB Word For Today would continue to encourage and support believers for many years to come, so he began a long writing project, which would mean the devotional could continue long after he passed away. Bob had a huge heart for ministry and wanted to en­sure that when he finally did go to be with the Lord, the work would continue. We believe that Bob’s legacy will ensure that the UCB Word For Today will reach even more people in years to come than it has over the last 25 years.

 

Over many years, the devotional has impacted millions of lives and although today is a sad day of loss, we are also thankful for the incredible legacy Bob has left behind.

 

When a believer goes to be with Jesus, we feel the loss personally, but the Word tells us that we do not grieve like those who have no hope, as we know that one day, we will be reunited (1 Thessalonians 4). We also know that in times of grief and loss, the Word and God’s love sustains us and helps to mend broken hearts.

 

Please keep Bob’s family in your prayers at this difficult time.

Thank you for all your support.

 

David L'Herroux
UCB Chief Executive

 

The ministry of Bob Gass and the UCB Word For Today has impacted millions of lives around the world.

If you would like to share a testimony or a message of condolence, please fill in the form below. Your comments will be passed on to the Gass family.

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