Bob Gass

Author of The Word for Today

Robert (Bob) Gass (1944-2019) was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His father died when he was 12 and his mother was left to rear him, his brother Neil and sister Ruth on a government pension. His mother was very influential on his life, encouraging him to attend church as often as possible. ‘She came into the Kingdom at a hundred miles an hour,’ Bob says, ‘and never slowed down.’ By the time he was 12, his heroes were not movie stars or sports celebrities but men and women of God. At this time, Bob gave his life to Christ.

He preached his first sermon at 13, writing it out in a school exercise book. As he began, so he has continued – even today, Bob writes out each reading for The Word for Today longhand in a yellow legal pad. He was fortunate as a teenager to have Gordon Magee as his mentor who offered, when he moved from Ireland to the United States, to pay for Bob’s passage to America. A few weeks before his eighteenth birthday, Bob arrived in Houston with two sermons in a briefcase and 25 cents in his pocket. Magee asked his friends across the US to give Bob opportunities to preach and for many years gave him constructive criticism of his sermons.

Debby (Bob’s wife of over 20 years) helped Bob write The Word for Today from their home in Georgia, USA. His sister Ruth served as a research assistant. Millions of people throughout the world receive it quarterly and testimonies flood in, demonstrating how many lives are blessed by it.

Initially The Word for Today began when Bob became aware of the struggles of UCB UK, our sister ministry in the United Kingdom. ‘You could broadcast rock, reggae and rap across the airwaves, but not Christian music!’ he says. ‘This – in the land that gave the world the King James Bible and the revival of the Wesleys!’ The law had to be changed and Bob’s support of UCB enabled them to keep in touch with supporters and, through the devotional, keep the cause of Christian radio in front of increasing numbers of people.

Bob said his vision for The Word for Today is…

‘to whet your appetite so much that you’ll say, “Wow! I didn’t know that was in the Bible! Maybe I’d better go and read it for myself.”’

Through The Word for Today, he and Debby want to give you a love for the Word of God that will last all your life long.

Video tribute to Bob Gass – June 2019

A special memorial service was held following Bob’s funeral. This was attended by friends from all around the world and videoed for all to enjoy and remember the man who gave us, and is still blessing us with, The Word for Today.