Christopher Gibbs was attending the Boggs Academy boarding school in Keysville, GA, when he and his family need to make a decision about his future schooling. His grandmother’s godson, Martin Gill, had attended Church Farm School and the family recommended the school to the Gibbs. “My mother knew that me attending high school in [my hometown of] Brooklyn, NY, was not an option. I was terribly behind academically and needed a structured small setting to continue my education.” Gibbs enrolled, and found the school to be a fit on a variety of levels.

“The level of structure and accountability by all the men on campus and especially the seniors was overwhelming at times,” Gibbs says. Gibbs cottage, Woodside, was under renovation when he arrived, and he recalls that the relationships built among the other boys happened quickly. In particular, Gibbs bonded with Chimdi Mbonu ’87, who arrived on campus the same day (Mbonu passed away in December 2016). “Here he was, the first day of school, sharing his Philly cheesesteak with a guy from Brooklyn.” Gibbs says that despite having very little experience in sports, he was encouraged to try new things and to excel. He participated in varsity cross country and track his first year at the school, which helped his “confidence rise tremendously.”

He also appreciated the school’s work study program. “That was my favorite part of the day,” he recalls. “Within two months I oversaw the entire team of boys that worked at our school swine nursery. One day, I assisted the veterinarian with a sow delivering piglets. Now that was something for a young boy from Brooklyn, NY!” When the farm program was phased out, Gibbs served as the caretaker of the Chapel of the Atonement. “This was a great honor for me, I received accolades and even a certificate of appreciation from [second headmaster] Dr. Charles Shreiner, Jr. for my outstanding work. These experiences led me to believe, think, feel and embrace that I can do anything I set my mind to.”

Gibbs also credits two longtime teachers—John Kistler and Art Smith—for their mentorship, and for giving him a more positive view of race relations. “When Mr. Kistler expressed how important it is to play a sport here with honor, integrity and love for your fellow teammates, he expressed it through tears, yet we all knew how strong a man he is. We knew that this was not at all a sign of weakness, but courage, strength and confidence.” He continues, “When I told Mr. Smith my junior year that I had a learning disability, his response was, ‘We all have challenges, but don’t use it as an excuse. You will have to work harder than most. In the end, you will appreciate it more than most and people will see that in you.’ Gosh, he was right, my life has been a story of working harder than most to accomplish my goals. These experiences have given me strength to push on. I tend to be calm and quiet like John Kistler and push hard and loud like Art Smith by demonstrating I can complete the task, get the job and/or promotion. These men treated me as their equal, with respect and held me to a very high standard of accountability and excellence. I often think of them when I achieve something and say, these men would be so proud of me.”   

After Church Farm School, Gibbs earned a B.S. in sociology, a B.A. in radio and TV production and an M.S. in education. He also served in the U.S. Army as a noncommissioned officer with National District Veterinary Command and later a TOE unit with black hawk helicopters. He has taught math and science at the middle school level in the Baltimore public school system, served as an elementary school principal, as a Chief Academic Officer of Charter Schools in York, Pa. Gibbs returned to Baltimore public schools as assistant principal of a pre-K-8 school two years ago, and is currently an interim principal. He volunteers with the Community Conferencing Center and earned a Restorative Practices Approach Certificate. He is a member of the Maryland Conflict and Resolution Consortium, and is on the roster for Baltimore City Circuit Court and Baltimore City Family Court for court -appointed mediation referral and services. He lives in a blended family with his wife, Sherri, her daughter, Sade, and his two sons, Elijah and Zachary. “To keep my life balanced, our family attends church on Sundays, and I collect comic books, attend Comic Book Conventions and have even met Stan Lee twice.”  

“[Founder The Rev.] Charles Shreiner received a call from the Lord that he needed to provide an environment that could nurture, guide and educate boys who had no father in their life. That legacy continues today. Church Farm School has a specific, clear and focused mission to save ALL young boys, to help them become men, to help them become productive, responsible contributors to our great society. Other private schools have to initiate special focused activities, events and ideas through committees and/or fundraising. At Church Farm School, there is one specific focus that has been done every day, every month for the past 99 years: saving lives.”