I Prayed have prayed
Lord, have mercy on us! We pray for this business, destroyed by a false accusation, and we pray that You would use Your Body, the Church, to bring a saving message of hope to our nation.
Reading Time: 4 minutes

From New York Post. On the night of Nov., 8, 2016, Donald Trump was elected president and the country was forever changed. But for my family, it was the following night — Nov. 9, 2016 — that our world was turned upside down and has never been set right.

Late that night, my husband, David, came home from work and told me that there had been a shoplifting incident at our bakery, Gibson’s. We’ve been in business for 137 years, so we’ve had our fair share of shoplifters, including earlier that very week. That particular night, a student from the local college, Oberlin, had tried to steal two bottles of wine and use a fake ID to buy a third. Our son, Allyn, had pursued him across the street. Two more students got involved. Allyn was beaten up pretty badly, and the three students were arrested.

David was afraid the incident would blow up, since the students claimed to the police that my son had assaulted them — not the other way around. He told me he was scared it would hurt our business since the students who were arrested were black and bystanders were already claiming that Allyn had racially profiled them.

But none of us had any idea of what was about to happen.

The next day, I opened the store around 7 a.m., and soon I got a sense of what David feared. Over the next few hours, hundreds of students began to gather in front of the store. They chanted, “Boycott Gibson’s,” and held signs that said we were white supremacists. They called us racists on their bullhorns.

The students weren’t alone. College administrators were there, too, handing out flyers and addressing the crowd on a bullhorn. The protesters also distributed flyers that said we had a “LONG ACCOUNT of RACIAL PROFILING and DISCRIMINATION.”

They blocked the door and screamed at customers who elbowed their way through to the counter. . . .

Before Nov. 9, our relationship to the school had been wonderful. . . .

A week after the incident, the school canceled all of our standing orders. That was just the beginning of my family’s nightmare.

The school put out a statement that implied that this wasn’t an isolated incident. The school’s student senate passed a resolution urging the school to cut ties with us, which was posted in a display case at the student center. Our business from the students themselves and administrators — we have a small grocery store and sell beer and wine in addition to our pastries and candies — dried up completely. And the students kept showing up to protest.

David met with the president of the school, along with other administrators, to try to get Oberlin to retract its baseless claims . . . . But Oberlin would not even consider issuing a statement and allowed the public to believe that we were in fact “racist.”

Eventually, in 2017, we felt that we had no choice other than filing a lawsuit against Oberlin (for libel, among other things) because David’s 89-year-old father, who had dedicated his life to the business, did not want to die being falsely branded a racist.

By the time the trial started, things were falling apart. We couldn’t make payroll, so we had to let go of half of our employees and cut our operating hours way back. My father-in-law, who made bagel deliveries to the college into his 80s, loved to sit outside the store all day and talk to whomever went by. He was a fixture in the community. Since word about the business with the college had spread, he’d sit outside for hours and hours, but no one would talk to him.

It broke his heart, and mine. Calling us racists wasn’t just wrong, it was deeply painful to our core. . . .

When the jury found in our favor — they ruled that we were owed $44 million in damages (which was later reduced to $31 million) — relief washed over me. I thought we’d finally be able to move past this and get back to work. . . .

Before he died in 2019, David asked me to keep the store going. “Just keep the doors open, no matter what,” he said. He gave his life for the store, and I promised him that I would do everything I could to honor his final wish.

I still haven’t seen a penny from the school.

In 2019, Oberlin appealed to have the jury verdict overturned. Ohio’s 9th District Court of Appeals rejected Oberlin’s claims and upheld the jury’s verdict. But in May 2022, Oberlin appealed again to the Ohio Supreme Court to try to avoid the jury’s decision. Thankfully, earlier this week, the Ohio Supreme Court denied Oberlin’s appeal and ruled that the school must pay us $36 million.

But even with this most recent ruling, the college, which has about a billion dollars’ worth of assets at its disposal, still refuses to pay. . . . While the Ohio Supreme Court’s recent decision has made us hopeful, if the money doesn’t come through within the next couple months, I’ll be forced to declare bankruptcy and shut the doors of Gibson’s for good.

Today, I’m worried about the future of this town.  . . . I believe that there’s room for both Gibson’s and the college to exist.

A couple of months ago, a young girl came into the bakery. She told me she was thinking of coming to the school, and that she’d heard horrible things about our store, that we were racist, and that we should be boycotted. She knew our story, the real story, and said that all the negativity directed toward us was a turnoff for her. I said that she should make her own decision. That’s what college is for.

Then I told her that I’d love to see her come to school here. And I’d like to see her come into the bakery if she does. I hope we’ll still be here.

What do you think? Share your prayers in the comments.

From New York Post. Lorna Gibson runs Gibson’s Bakery. Photo credit: Canva Pro.)
Comments (9) Print

Comments

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Joan
September 20, 2022

Father, in Jesus’ name, I pray for your mercy, grace, protection for the Gibson family. I pray, those
who have power to administrate affairs of Oberlin College, will feel responsible to make good the judgement passed as adjudicated in the Court. Let the Gibson’s be paid what is owed, and their business saved so it can continue to serve Your Kingdom, their city, and those who work at, and attend Oberlin College. Dispel the lies about the Gibson’s and let “truth of matter” be known to all faculty and students at Oberlin. I pray for repentance and forgiveness to abound in this matter. I pray for Oberlin to once again become a school whose mission is to spread the Gospel. Father,
motivate people everywhere to find out the facts, and not join in “labeling” and “condemning” without first, seeking the truth about matters. Place a strong desire in individuals hearts to,
treat others as they would like to be treated”.

Donna
September 13, 2022

Ugh! Here is info from Oberlin College’s website:
A Presbyterian minister and a missionary founded Oberlin in 1833. The duo, the Rev. John J. Shipherd and Philo P. Stewart….. They discovered a mutual disenchantment with what they saw as the lack of strong Christian principles among the settlers of the American West. They decided to establish a college and a colony based on their religious beliefs, “where they would train teachers and other Christian leaders for the boundless most desolate fields in the West.’’
Shipherd and Stewart soon gained the support of Charles Grandison Finney, one of the great revivalists of the 19th century. Finney’s reputation as a fiery and outspoken preacher attracted many to this fledgling community. He later served as the second president of the college after social reformer and abolitionist Asa Mahan, who served from 1835-1850.
LORD, bring revival to this place. Such good roots that honored You and pursued Your vision. Reveal Yourself, convict hearts! And make speedy payments to this family so that they can continue their business and their legacy.

2
Renee McMichael
September 9, 2022

Heavenly Father. I pray you would move through our legal system to make this school accountable for the judgement against them and save this bakery. Our college institutions have become footholds for Satan’s lies and manipulation that have corrupted the youth of this country and undermined their beliefs in the value of kindness and graciousness to one’s neighbors. Father I pray you would bring about a disruption in the funding sources in these institutions so they loose their power and hold them accountable for the evil they propagate do that future generations of American youth may be spared.
Amen!

6
Paula Sparks
September 8, 2022

Deception and lies lead to destruction and hate. Our universities have become incubators for hate – thank God we have IFA and other ways to get this news and be able to pray for Christians who are under the hateful persecution of those who deceive and lie. Praying that God will give courage and embolden His church to step up and speak out loudly against Satan’s servants. We must lean on God to give us courage and help our unbelief in His power. We are weak, but He is strong and in the business of doing miracles.

7
Ellen Hoffman
September 8, 2022

Oh Lord, man is evil without You in or even influencing his life! The enemy is the real attacker behind this situation. I pray you would surround the leaders of this school with Your angels, that they would outnumber and beat the demons that are working in the unseen part if this battle. This is a spiritual battle. We have enough trouble with just ourselves as people, we don’t need the enemy to make it worse. I pray You would change the mind of those in control and who are responsible to make this payment. I pray You would somehow institute a penalty on this school for everyday that they disobey the courts order. I ask that You would restore the years that the locusts have eaten to the Gibson’s bakery, that they would become respected once again and that Your name would be honored above all names! I pray for salvation for all school officials. I pray that the peace that passes all understanding would be with the Gibson’s and protection from the enemy against disillusionment, depression, and anything else the enemy tries to throw at them. I plead the blood of Jesus in their defense and the truth would come out and they would be set free. I pray the Gibson’s would continue to press into You! May You even use them to lead those in the college to You. May all the glory, honor and power be given to You!

7
Cathy Bernsen
September 7, 2022

Lord, this breaks my heart for a hard working family. Just like Nehemiah was called to rebuild the wall inspite of great opposition….I ask YOU to grant favor and protection for this family. Lord, You own the cattle on a thousand hills, I claim Your financial favor on this need.

20
Julie
September 7, 2022

Oberlin College has been thoroughly corrupted by the fascist Left. Just now read where Oberlin Board of Trustees Chair, Chris Canavan, was previously Director of Global Policy Development at Soros Fund Management. Big surprise that this school is completely off its nut.

What a shame that it has such a deleterious effect on the surrounding community.

Am praying for the courageous Gibson family. They’re clearly a loving family and I pray they prevail in receiving their judgement for damages promptly, with no more nefarious foot-dragging by Oberlin.

And I am praying that impressionable students avoid hate-filled Oberlin College, and any other schools that would lead them down Satan’s primrose path.

Personally, I hope the Gibson family considers relocating the bakery to another city. Lots of towns would adore having this charming family-owned bakery, and would welcome them and treat them with the respect they deserve.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” ~ Col. 3:23

13
Judith Rothman
September 7, 2022

How heartbreaking for the Gibson family. Praying that justice will prevail and that Oberlin will choose to obey the court’s decision or be legally forced to pay the settlement to Gibson’s. Thank You Father God that You will take what the enemy means for evil and will turn it for their good. Also praying for a spiritual revival at Oberlin in Your Victorious name Lord Jesus.

19
Teresa Salazar
September 7, 2022

Father, thank you that you prepare a table in the presence of our enemies. The enemy sees his demise. We release your abundance and peace Lord over the family. We thank you that the words of the enemy are broken over this family and their business. Every wicked plot and scheme is exposed and brought down. We declare that righteousness will prevail in this situation. Lord, you said NO weapon formed against us shall prosper and every tongue that rises up against us we will condemn for this is our heritage. So Lord, we thank you that the devil will not have the last word – we thank you Lord for victory, favor and full restitution. In Jesus Name.

23

Partner with Us

Intercessors for America is the trusted resource for millions of people across the United States committed to praying for our nation. If you have benefited from IFA's resources and community, please consider joining us as a monthly support partner. As a 501(c)3 organization, it's through your support that all this possible.

Dave Kubal
IFA President
Become a Monthly Partner

Share

Click below to share this with others

Log in to Join the Conversation

Log in to your IFA account to start a discussion, comment, pray, and interact with our community.