History of Liberty Free Will Baptist Church

 For more than 147 years Liberty Free Will Baptist Church has been a landmark in the Baggette’s Crossroads section of Clarendon County. The exact time of organization is not known but we are told that it was about 1860. The first location was about a mile and a half north on the Wilson Mill Road. In 1886 Elder J.J. Baggette donated an acre of land and a new frame building was erected at the present site. This building later burned and the present structure was built in 1918.

 There have been many changes and improvements made to the church over the years. Although the exterior looks much the same, the tall white spire has been replaced with a cross. In 1957 an acre of land was donated by the heirs of the late C.H. Baggette, and the parsonage was built. In 1985 interior renovations were done. In 1986 the outside was covered with vinyl siding and in 2006, a new addiction was added.

According to church records from 1926, there was a committee appointed to look into purchasing a piano or organ for the church. This may have been the first piano in the church. In 1960 the young people had fund raisers to purchase the present piano, and an organ was donated to the church in 1980.

Regular scheduled services were held once a month until sometime in the 1940s, when full time services began. During this time period electric lights replaced the oil lamps which hung down the center of the sanctuary. The gas heaters which had replaced the wood burning heaters and the funeral home fans were replaced in 1970 by a central heating and cooling system.

 Six Sunday school rooms were added to the church building in 1950. The young people’s class renovated one of the old class rooms and the women of the church raised money to renovate the other five rooms.

 In the original building  the pews had a divider down the center of the building from back to front. After entering the front porch the men and boys would enter through the right door and the women and girls would enter through the left door.  When the present structure was built there was no divider. However, the custom of males sitting on the right and females sitting on the left lingered well into the 1950’s and 1960’s. Even today some of the older members refer to the men’s side and the women’s side.

In 1966 the baptistery was installed. The pine pews were replaced in 1980 with new padded pews. At this time pulpit furniture, choir chairs and carpet were purchased. Most of this was donated. A new roof was put on the sanctuary in 1987.

 The fellowship hall was built in 1975 with most of the work being done by members. In 1983 the Women’s Auxiliary purchased paneling, and in 1984 a donation was made in memory of Coleman Richburg to finish the paneling, which was installed by the men.

The  prayer of the members of the church is that they will continue to be true to their ancestors and that they will be examples of Christian love and faith in the Clarendon County community.