Remembering Bobby Dobson

Limestone lost a true friend and great supporter last week through the sudden earthly departure of former Board of Trustees member, Bobby Dobson. For 15 years I have been privileged to serve as director of the Christian Education and Leadership Program (CELP) that was founded in 2000 through a generous gift, and strengthened with continued support, from Bobby and his wife, Beth.

Several times a year, I would meet with Bobby to celebrate the great things God was accomplishing through the CELP: scholarship support for 20-25 students each year; hundreds of community mission hours annually in Gaffney; 850,000 hunger relief meals packaged and shipped over 8 years; hundreds of children, families, and seniors blessed with help – in Christ’s name – in Gaffney, Chicago, Washington, Montana, Brazil, Belize, and Zimbabwe.

With the support of other Christian benefactors who shared his vision of securing and strengthening the Christian heritage and foundation of Limestone, Bobby has honored the Lord God who sustained and enabled him. Beyond the generous gift that enabled the establishment of the Christian Education and Leadership Program, an accountable discipleship program that affords interested students an opportunity to grow in faith and as leaders with a strong Christian foundation, Bobby also gifted a house to the program to enable six young men to enjoy a Christian housing community. He insisted that the house be named Landon House, for a CELP student lost in a tragic accident.

Because of the CELP, the College chapel has become regularly used by 20-30 students daily seeking God’s purpose for their lives. Bobby was excited to be part of developing a vision to enhance and expand the chapel and surrounding grounds to fix a stronger place on the campus dedicated to the spiritual development of Limestone students, and to honor the God who had blessed his life with both the purpose and means to help others recognize and enjoy the great love God has for each of us.

In the video testimony provided in the link at the bottom of this post, Bobby describes the point in his life when the love of God became very real, and life-sustaining to him. Though Limestone is not mentioned by name in this video, because we were simply one of numerous missions in which he invested, it makes very clear the motivation behind Bobby’s commitment.

As I sit here writing this, I am mindful of the fact that at this very moment, had he not had a more pressing appointment with his Lord, he and I would have been at Charlie’s BBQ enjoying a chat about our families and the great things God is accomplishing at Limestone and beyond because of our shared faith. I lost a friend, and a brother in Christ.

Though he would have been the first to argue that his life was far from perfect and therefore perhaps not worthy of the title (the truth is no one has ever been, at least not on their own), Bobby Dobson, because of his faith in Christ and his determination to do the best he could to follow Christ and practice the love, caring, and service He teaches us, and because he did so generously both in and through our college, will forever be a true Limestone Saint.  

VIDEO LINK: https://vimeo.com/352775452

Reverend Ron Singleton

Limestone College Chaplain

Director of the CELP