Rebecca
Rebecca (Bec) grew up immersed in faith and community as the youngest daughter of church planters, Mal and Helen Hibbard. Born in Narromine in 1969, she spent her earliest years at her mother’s feet as she led worship from the organ—learning from the very start what it meant to live a life of praise.
In 1971, the Hibbard family moved to the Coffs Coast, where her parents pioneered a church in Toormina. By the age of eight, Bec had made her own personal commitment to Jesus, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit and being baptised soon after at Coffs Creek.
As a teenager, she witnessed her parents’ bold faith once again when they began a new church in Coffs Harbour, meeting first in the Tyalla Public School hall. In time, that small congregation purchased land at Korora, where a church building was completed in 1984—its illuminated blue cross becoming a landmark of hope for all who passed by.
Mike
Mike’s journey of faith began when he was just four years old. His mother, Marie, came to know Jesus through the Tamworth church, pastored at the time by Bec’s sister and brother-in-law, Ray and Cath Andrews. Soon after, facing difficult circumstances, Marie moved her children to Narromine, where the church community became a place of safety and joy for Mike and his sister.
After completing his carpentry trade, work took Mike to Coffs Harbour, where he found employment with the Hibbard family’s building company. It was here that he crossed paths with Bec. Love soon blossomed, and together they poured their energy into the life of the church. Mike gave countless hours of labour to help build the new church at Korora, where in 1987, Pastor Mal Hibbard would marry him and Bec in the very building he helped construct.
For many years, Mike and Bec served side by side at Calvary Life Assemblies—leading worship, supporting youth and outreach, and creating a welcoming home for many. Along the way, they built a family and a business, walking through trials and triumphs alike. Even in seasons of deep challenge, including serious health battles faced by their two children, their faith in Jesus only grew stronger, shaping the foundation of their lives and ministry today.
