About Us

          The Liberty Hill Church was founded in1880. During the 49th Annual Session of the Welsh Neck Baptist Association meeting at Mt. Elon Church on November 12, 1880, it was noted in the minutes that Liberty Hill Church presented application by letter and delegates for admission into the association. It was received and the right hand of fellowship was extended for acceptance. W.R. Walters and John Gilbert were present at the 1880 meeting as the messengers from the Liberty Hill Church.

          Through old church documents from Gum Branch Church, it appears that Liberty Hill Church grew out of a Sunday School Class at Gum Branch Church. A group of people from the Gum Branch Church who lived in the Liberty Hill area "because of distance involved in travelling to Gum Branch" are believed to be the reason for the start of the Liberty Hill Church. Reports indicate that the feelings were friendly and cordial on the part of Gum Branch and Liberty Hill in the efforts of establishing the new church. 

          Elder Alonzo W. Parrott, who was also the Pastor at Gum Branch and Mt. Elon Churches in 1880, became the first Pastor of Liberty Hill Church. Rev, Alonzo w. Parrott's brother, Benjamin Franklin Parrott, became the second Pastor. Rev. Benjamin Franklin Parrott was also an employee of the State Mission Board. His annual salary was $250 to labor as a missionary in upper Lynches River section with Gum Branch, Liberty Hill, Mt. Elon, and Mt. Pleasant Churches.

          The first church building was a one room frame structure and was completed in 1882. The architect was G.W. Stancill. The building was dedicated on November 17th, 1882. There are some references from the minutes of the Associational meetings that say the first building was a "framed structure seating around 250 persons was built in 1917". Perhaps the date indicated that the Church building was dedicated then. There were more details surrounding the actual date, but they were destroyed by fire. The current Church has undergone many changes and in the 1930's, Boyd Gilbert gave timber which was used in replacing the exterior siding of the Church. The timber was hauled to Clyde Sawmill, cut, dressed and returned to Liberty Hill Church by wagon and was used for improving the exterior of the Church. Before the R.E.A. lines came through the community the Church and School operated from a Delco System to supply the electrical energy. New pews and pulpit furniture along with carpet was placed in the Church. On December 15th, 1957, under Rev. Benton Smith's leadership, the Church was re-dedicated. 

          A family cemetery located adjacent to the Church's current location predates the founding of the Church. For a number of years, the Gilbert Family had used a parcel of land for a family cemetery prior to the founding of the Church. This old family cemetery is known as the Liberty Hill Cemetery. The oldest grave that has been identified is dated October 27, 1842, and is marked "Nancy Gilbert - Wife of Jesse Gilbert Jr.". There are several other graves with dates between 1842 and 1880. Accordingly, the Gilbert family and their descendants have figured prominently in the history of the Church and the community.

          At one time a school was associated with the community. It was known as the Liberty Hill School. It was located on the same side of the road that the Church is located on. It stood between the Church and the cemetery and was later moved across the road in front of the Church. The schools had grades 1st-7th and the Sunday School building that is currently being used for Sunday School was once part of the Liberty Hill School. The building was moved around 1953 back across the road where it now sits next to the Church and was converted into a suitable Sunday School building. The Church borrowed $4,000 from the Bank of Hartsville in 1965 to brick-up the building and to make some improvements. 

          In August of 1957, Everette Gilbert gave the recreational building in memory of William and Adella Gilbert family. It was constructed by Dan Rogers at a cost of approximately $5,000. In 1978, Linda Cagel, daughter of Evertte Gilbert, gave three acres of land adjacent to the Liberty Hill Cemetery to use for future burial sites. The pastor's home across the road from the church where the school was once located, was completed in 1970 at a cost of $22,000. Robert Amerson was chairman of the building committee and J. W. Beasley was the contractor. Additional improvements were made through the years such as new carpet, a choir loft was constructed, changes in the steeple were made, white vinyl siding was put on the outside of the church, the pews were cushioned, and double glass doors were added to the front of the church. 

          Things have changed at the church over the recent years. It survived Hurricane Hugo in 1989. There was some damage done to the grounds and buildings. It is good to have the history of how our church was started. The thing that we need to remember most is that it is all given to us by God. God gave us everything that is currently here now and the things that have gone in the past. We need to realize that "we" are the church, not the buildings or shrubs or playground. All of those things are simply material things, but they also have a use. God has given us all those things to use in the building up of His Kingdom and to glorify His name. It should be a prayer from every heart that has come through the doors of Liberty Hill Baptist Church that God's Will be done and not ours. He will provide. If you do not have a home church, we would like to welcome you and your family to ours. We also would like to invite you back to our church. We hope you enjoy your experience here at Liberty Hill Baptist Church. 

          We at Liberty Hill Baptist Church thank God for each person and family that gave to a community so freely what God so freely gave to them.