Our Purpose

Who Are We?

Liberty Baptist Church is a conservative, evangelical, independent, fundamental, Baptist church. We are intentionally not “seeker sensitive,” “purpose driven” or even “emerging.” We are well aware of such movements within evangelicalism and do not endorse them. Some might call us traditional or even a little old fashioned because we continue to preach from the Bible verse-by-verse, believe what it says, and try to put biblical principles into practice in our daily lives. We continue to use the hymnal, and most of our music is conservative and traditional, not of the variety popular in our culture today. The atmosphere in our church is warm and friendly, not stiff or cold. Our services are orderly and calm. We welcome everyone to visit!

History of Liberty Baptist Church

LBC began as Antigo Bible Church in 1956 in Antigo, Wisconsin with Richard Marsceau as pastor. The church conducted its first service at the present location, 311 Second Ave., on September 28, 1957. Pastor Billy Mauldin was one of the first pastors of the church and during his tenure, on July 31, 1961, the church changed its name to Bible Baptist Church. Jim Stevens was pastor from 1985 to 2000. Don Elie served as pastor briefly (Feb. 2001 to Nov. 2001) until his tragic death in an automobile accident. Under his leadership the church changed its name to Liberty Baptist Church. Brad Anderson has been the pastor since April 2003. Pastor Anderson received his education at Maranatha Baptist Bible College (Watertown, WI), Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, and Central Baptist Seminary (Minneapolis).

Purpose of Liberty Baptist Church

Our Purpose

Briefly stated, Liberty Baptist Church exists to glorify God, exalting and honoring him in every aspect of the ministry. Our mission statement declares, “Liberty Baptist Church exists to glorify God by making and maturing disciples of Jesus Christ.”

Let’s look at that definition a bit more carefully.

“to glorify God”

The ultimate purpose of everything in the universe is to bring glory, honor and praise to our Creator (Ecc 12:13; 1 Cor 10:31; Eph 3:21). This means that whatever we do at LBC, our highest goal is to make sure it is in keeping with God’s character and will. We know that God’s governing, defining moral characteristic is holiness (Isa 6:3; 1 Pet 1:15-16). Thus, LBC seeks to be reverent, serious and holy in all aspects of the ministry.

“by making disciples”

Simply put, a disciple is a learner or follower. In the Great Commission, Jesus tasked his disciples with “making disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19). LBC is seeking to help people become disciples of Christ in obedience to this command. One becomes a disciple when he turns from sin and trusts in the person and work of Christ.

“by maturing disciples”

Becoming a disciple of Christ is the first step in a long process of growth and change. LBC desires to help people move toward Christian maturity. Every genuine believer seeks to develop and to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ (2 Pet 3:18).

Five Purposes

Now that we’ve looked at the basic purpose of LBC, we can expand that definition a little by examining the five purposes of the church. LBC seeks to bring honor and glory to God by means of the following actions:

  1. Worship (Col 3:16-17)

Worship means to exalt, to lift up or to honor God. Believers gather together as a church body to offer their praise and adoration to God. Participation in the worship service of one’s church is a primary means of worship. Listening to the Bible as it’s preached and taught, praying, singing, giving, and confession of sin are elements of worship. The worship services at LBC tend to be serious and reverent events. We disagree with many of the irreverent, worldly worship practices evident in some churches. The primary audience for worship is God, so we must worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), that is, with the right attitude and in the proper way.

  1. Edification of believers (1 Cor 14:3; Eph 4:12-13)

Edification means “building up.” A primary goal of the church is to build up believers, that is, help them to become fully devoted and mature followers of Jesus Christ. How does that happen?

  • Through biblical and theological instruction (Acts 20:27; 2 Tim 3:16-17)

The teaching of God’s Word ought to enjoy a central place in the life of a church. The church is responsible to teach the Bible and biblical theology to its people. You’ll find that the teaching ministry of LBC to be a significant and challenging aspect of church life.

  • Through the use of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 14:12)

Every believer is gifted in some way, and he should seek to use that gift in the context of the church.

  • Through following qualified leaders (2 Cor. 10:8)

God gave leaders to the church for the purpose of building up believers and helping them attain spiritual maturity. The pastor’s main task is to equip church members for ministry (Eph 4:11-16).

  1. Fellowship (1 John 1:7)

Fellowship is participation or communion of believers with each other based on their union with Christ. Unity and love among the members of a church are distinguishing marks of genuine believers.

  1. Evangelism of the lost (Acts 1:8)

LBC is responsible to spread the gospel, to “make disciples of all nations.” The church helps Christians grow in their faith so they can communicate the gospel message to others who need to be saved. The church provides opportunities for people to be involved in local evangelism as well as support missionaries who take the gospel around the world.

  1. Service (Gal 5:13)

Serving God through the ministry of your church is a significant aspect of the Christian life. The various ministries of the church present members with many opportunities to serve God and one another. Every member should find a place of service.

Making Disciples

In order to make a disciple (the goal), we have to have an image in mind of what a disciple is. What does a disciple look like? Simply put, a disciple is a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. More specifically, a disciple is a saved, baptized member of a church, regular and active in worship, growing in his understanding of Scripture, practicing biblical stewardship, and engaged in evangelism and service. This is the goal or outcome that LBC is aiming for in the life of every person with whom it comes in contact. Those who come short of this definition can hardly call themselves mature in the faith.

What are the steps in reaching the goal?
  1. Reach the unsaved with the gospel and help them come to faith in Christ.
  2. Help newly converted believers understand the necessity of baptism and church membership, and encourage them to make necessary changes in their lives.
  3. Help church members develop their spiritual gifts and devote themselves to spiritual disciplines, such as personal devotions, faithful church participation, stewardship, and evangelism.
  4. Channel members into areas of significant ministry.
  5. Encourage committed, faithful members to assume positions of leadership (e.g., Sunday school teacher, deacons, women’s ministries, etc).