Augustin’s father took the admonition of Proverbs 22:6 to heart: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” As a result of his parents’ spiritual influence, Augustin made a vow at the tender age of 11 to serve God full-time with his strengths, his knowledge, and his will. He has never strayed from that path.
Augustin met his wife, Marie Helene, in the church choir.
They were married on September 27, 1981, and one week later began studies at the Theological Seminary in Bata, CAR. The Hibailes have eight biological children (four boys and four girls), as well as three adopted children who were the orphans of relatives.
They also have a growing number of grandchildren. In addition to her family responsibilities, Marie Helene has worked with ministries such as Women of the Good News, True Love Waits, and True Love Stays.
Following their time at seminary, Augustin earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana. While there, he connected with Bob Vernon, founder of the Pointman Leadership Institute in California. This relationship planted the seeds of Dr. Hibaile’s interest in ethics in leadership.
Dr. Hibaile returned from the U.S. and served as a professor at the Bata Bible Institute and Seminary for almost 20 years. During that time he also worked as a chaplain for Bangui’s police force.
Meanwhile, he had a growing conviction that the ethics of a nation determine its future.
In 2002, he invited a team of Pointman instructors to conduct ethical leadership seminars for leaders of police, military, and the church in Bangui.
In 2005, Dr. Hibaile sensed God leading him to expand his ministry of teaching ethics in leadership. He went through the Pointman instructors training in Cape Town, South Africa, then founded CIDEL—Center International for the Development of Ethical Leadership.
CIDEL exists to bridge the gap between church and workplace, helping individuals live with integrity and virtue across all levels of society. Through seminars, workshops, conferences, and ongoing classes at the Center of Ethics located on the campus of the University of Bangui, Dr. Hibaile and his staff are helping students to “change their habits, attitudes, and character to become leaders who inspire trust and confidence and are good role models.” They have even seen some students turn from Buddhism and other religions to accept Christ as their Savior.
It’s hard to overstate the influence Dr. Hibaile has had on leadership and cultural ethics in CAR and elsewhere in Africa.
He is a sought-after speaker and has conducted ethics seminars in Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Burundi, Liberia, and Kenya. He has met with people at all levels of government, from the president down, and is the person the president calls on for special times of prayer after important meetings. Yet he does not lose sight of the fact that the future of the nation rests with the youth.
In 2016, Dr. Hibaile was honored for his work in CAR at the conference of the New York Leadership Center. He responded with typical humility, “I praise God for the recognition for what God is doing in me and through me in the areas of global leadership. Please pray that I will continue to serve with wisdom and courage.”
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