1958-1982
In 1958 the Greenville Memorial Auditorium was opened for the first time, as now all of a sudden worldly entertainment was in the area. Circuses, ice skating shows, concerts and bail games were now available. Television and move theaters were getting really popular, and the world was offering so much which meant the churches had to rally work at drawing people in. (2)
1958
Rev. James Brown (1958-1964): He was a warrior for Christ, a strong preacher of God's Word, and a great leader for the people. Rudy Bowen remembers his wife Martha Jane. She said, 'Mrs. Brown taught the ladies Sunday School class, and they elected me as the assistant." ... Mrs. Brown also played the piano. Genobia Cox was learning to play at the time, and Rev. Brown said he could remember her determination to be the church pianist. When the the Brown's left in 1964. Genobia became the regular pianist....Frances Cox played the organ... (2)
Rev Brown ....special memories...Genobia Cox, Elizabeth Funk, Parylee Center, Frank Benson, Frank Childress, and James Hembree....one of the best men I have ever known. He also thought of Carey Poole and her work with WMU. He told me he ordained Oscar Daniel as deacon and helped Grover carry his son Harold into the baptistery in a straight char so he could be baptized like everyone else. Harold has cerebral palsy, and going up and own the steps would been difficult without that assistance. (2)
Preacher Matt Dillon in God's City: Rev Brown had a reputation in those days of being a fighter for God against the evils of society. He told me he was labeled by many in the community as Preacher Matt Dillon in God's City. He and the church often fought against the raising of bars and beer joints in the area.... (2)
1960
The Educational Building: Rev Brown was also the pastor went he educational building was build in 1960. John F. Kennedy was the nations's President and NLBC basement was having problems with water backing into it. Rev. Brown, Rudy Cox, Genobia Cox, Elizabeth Funk, and Grace Funk went to the church in the Spartanburg area to look at such a building. They liked it, and so the church then started working on the project. (2)
Grover Capps and his grading crew cleared off the land for the educational building, and an outside crew came in to build it, while Rank Childress (who happened to be a builder himself) looked out on the project on behalf of the church. He church borrowed $25,000 form Fidelity Federal Savings and Loan Association in Greenville to finance the building and paid it off in 1971. The building was eventually completed and the church celebrated sometime in late 1960 with a dedication service. .....Rev John Tollison, pastor of Brushy Creek Baptist Church....preach the dedication sermon. The building , with 4200 square feet of floor space, and two assembly rooms, 14 classrooms, office, pastor's study, kitchen and restrooms....Open house will be observed....Rev. James L. Brown is pastor.
Sunday School: The church was doing really well in James Brown's time. They were averaging around 130. (2)
RA Program: Wayne Hembree ......In the early 1060's when Rev Brown was at NLBC, the RA's and Brotherhood had ball teams. The RA's played baseball and the Brotherhood played softball. My father organized and coached the RA's along with Grover Capps and Jim Ellison. Grover and his brother Bud made a baseball diamond behind Bud's hose off of Highway 414. ......Baseball and softball became a twice weekly event.....everyone played...Preacher Brown, Grover and Bud Capps, Oscar Daniels, Franklin McCarson, Stanley Pace, Ollis Rochester, and others played....The women opened a snack bar and sold soft drinks and candy. .....Stanley Pace and John Daniels, Oscar's brother were great fast pitch softball pitchers. Grover and Rev Brown were power hitters....were in several play offs and even won a championship...
WMU, Acteens, and GA's: Maude Ellison was he WMU leader and Genobia Cox and Mary Daniel led the Acteens and GA's. .....other women actively involved ....Dora Pace, Maxine Hall, and Frances Cox. (2)
1964
Rev Fred Cobb (1964-1968): The pulpit committee was chosen.....Dean Ivey, Roy Durham, M.B. McCarson, Frank Benson, Ansel Duncan and James Hembree....Pelzer-Williamston area. On January 10, 1965 Rev Cobb became the pastor.....congregation welcomed him and his family with a a church wide dinner and pounding. Rev. Cobb had a successful ministry and baptized several. A prayer room was made available and put in use.....(2)
The Beginners Sunday Class: Elizabeth Funk said she and Mozell hill taught a large group of children in the beginners Sunday School class......they would gather the small children before Sunday School each week to sing songs. Genobia wold lead them while she played the piano. Mary Daniel also helped a lot... (2)
Acteen and GA Coronations: It was during the Cobb ministry that Acteen and GA program really took off. Genobia and Mary were faithful and dedicated to those girls. They took them camping and sometimes to Stroud Nursing Home in Marietta to visit with the elderly. Genobia said, GA coronations from 1960-74 were always the highlights in my life...I will never forget the year Linda Capps painted the rainbow in the baptistery and we used that to talk about promises of God. ..." Mary said. "The girls could put away food. Oscar and Don were going to wait for the girls to get their plated and no food was left, so the next morning they were at the table first." (2)
1968
The Ministry of Dr. F.M. Lindler: He was the state of Georgia and the one who officiated in the wedding ceremony for Don and Genobia Hall on May 25, 1968. Genobia said of LIndler, "...He was a man of very high moral standards. He appreciated the scriptures and was able to present them to you in a beautiful and meaningful way. He expected the best from us in the way we lived and the way we dressed as representatives of Christ." (2)
The Ministry of Dr. Wade Hale: ...called to serve as interim. Dr. Hale was a professor of Bible at North Greenville Junior College..."In those days, churches called on professors from North Greenville and Furman because there weren't a whole lot of retired preachers available." ....he served NLBC three times. During his short ministry, he ordained Don Hall as deacon and led the church in purchasing new hymn books. On November 10, 1968, the church voted to buy 100 Baptist Hymnals with Genobia, Rudy and Frances Cox and H.E. Dockery taking care of the matte. The money used to pay for the hymnals came form a memorial to the memory or Mr. Leland Jack Smith, father of Rev. Jerry Smith,who was to be the next pastor of NLBC. (2)
1969
The Ministry of Rev Jerry Smith (1969-1982): April 13, 1969, Mr Smith of Lyman, SC preached a trail sermon, and the church voted to call him as pastor. He began his work on June 1, and two weeks later was officially ordained into the ministry by First Baptist Church of Lyman. ....first things accomplished was the purchase of the 100 hymnals which was approved in November 1968. On July 20, 1969, Richard Nixon was President.....NASA spacecraft Apollo 11 landed on the moon, and Rev. Smith was pastoring NLBC, his first church. (2)
1970
Cemetery Upkeep Fund: In October of 1970, NLBC started a cemetery fund account at Travelers Rest Federal Savings and Loan Office. The following announcement was printed in the November 1st Bulletin: "it is hoped that eventually this fund will grow to the point that the interest will at least pay for part of the cost of keeping or cemetery clean...... " .(2)
The Ordination of Ronnie Turpin into the Ministry: In 1970, NLBC proudly ordained one of its own, Mr. Ronnie Turpin, into the ministry. Ronnie eventually moved on, and most in the church lost contact with him until November 27, 1995, when he wrote a letter to the church. He said in the letter: "I am now involved in tapes and books and a speaking ministry (in Las Vegas, Nevada)...We are seeking to reach many who come their to gamble and take part in all the Las Vegas offers." (2)
The RA Program: The church still had a great RA ministry going on in the early seventies, with Don Hall and Oscar Daniel as the leaders. Those men would have the boys come every Saturday in the summer months to cut the church yard and cemetery. Rev. Smith's son Terry, well remembers those times. He said we'd work every Saturday, all day, trying to get it to look nice for the Sunday services. But he also said it wasn't all work. We'd play basketball in the church parking lot or softball in the field." ....Oscar Daniel said one of his best memories of those days was an overnight camping trip once with the RA boys. He said, "We had a Bible study with them, and they went swimming and fishing. We also had breakfast with them." Oscar said the boys ate seven dozen eggs and five pounds of bacon on that trip. (2)
The Church Bowling Team: Grover Capps started a bowling team in the early seventies.
The Youth Choir: The Church also had a youth choir, and the following were members: Allen Cox, Gary Cox, James Cox, Tammy Capps, Teresa Capps, Rebecca Center, Debbie Daniel, Loretta Daniel, Kathy Davis, Joan Epps, Tina Hines, Allan Johnson, Carol Johnson, Lynn Johnson, Shelia Knight, Vicki Knight, Karen Own, L.W. McKinney, Keith Owen, Perry Smith, Terry Smith, Karen Simpson, and Rebecca Tankersely. It was certainly a great time at NLBC with a lot of young people involved. Several of those young people still serve the Lord today,...all three Cox Brothers eventually led music some at NLBC...Gary...Eastside Baptist Church in Liberty. He married Debbie Daniel.....Rebecca Center has since gone on several overseas mission trips, and Terry Smith....Asheville, NC, as a youth minister. (2)
1972
When James Cox Became Music Director (1972-1981): On Baptist Men's Day, 1972, James Cox became NLBC music director and served in this position for the next nine years. According to James, it came about this way: "Baptist Men's Day has always been a chance for the men of the church to serve the Lord in unusual ways. One of the deacons would deliver a sermon and the choir would be filed only with men. The regular pianist and organist continued their jobs because we didn't have any men to play. I was called upon to lead singing even though I was still in high school, and several Sundays after the Men's Day, I was elected to serve as son leader and continued for several years." (2)
1976
The Bookmobile: In the Summer of 1976, NLBC was a regular stopping point for the Greenville County Library Bookmobile. It stopped every other Wednesday between 4:15-5:00 PM for members and others in the community to have an opportunity to check out books to read. (2)
Bi-Centennial Day and Homecoming: On October 3, 1976, the church had homecoming and observed the nation bi-centennial. The country was celebrating its 200 year of existence, and the NLBC members, under Jerry Smith's leadership, celebrated by wearing old timely costumes. It was truly a great day for all in the church. (2)
1978
Revival: April 24-26, 1978, the church had a great revival with Rev. Dan Greer, pastor of Washington Avenue Baptist Church in Greenville, and Gary Cox led the singing. It was yet another sprite-filled series of meetings.
1982
Revival: April 7-9, 1982, Rev. Roy O. Forrest, pastor of nearby Locust Hill Baptist Church, preached in a revival at NLBC. It would b Jerry Smith's last revival as NLBC pastor, and little did Roy know, he himself would one day later serve as interim at NLBC in the nineties. (2)
The Unexpected Death of Rev. Jerry Smith: Ronald Reagan was serving as President of the Untied States in 1982, and NLBC was still blessing the hears of many through its ministry. But then a sudden unexpected tragedy befell the church. On Sunday morning, October 24, 1982, Rev Smith seemed to be fine. He was his same old self as he preached, and no one knew it would be his last sermon when they walked out of the church later that evening. The next morning everything went on as usual. The members were working at their respective jobs, and Rev. Smith was serving his Lord. But then on Tuesday morning, just before dawn, on October 26, Rev Jerry Smith and a massive heart attack in the parsonage and died before the ambulance could get to him. It was a shock to all. No one, in their wildest dreams, ever expected such a thing to happen. He went on to be with the Lord leaving behind his widow Mary Kathryn and sons, Perry and Terry. His wife wrote letter afterwards to the church:
"Dear Precious New Liberty Family, We have faced many tragedies together in the past thirteen years and even more happy times. Thursday was a combination of both...as we sent Jerry Smith home in typical New Liberty style. How I shall miss my dearest friend and how happy he is visiting with old friends and talking to Jesus and proving that there really is 'victory in Jesus'....he died the way he wished, serving here at New Liberty and serving the Lord he truly loved..." (2)
The New Liberty members poured their hears out to the Smith family, and Terry said this of the church: 'I guess I learned the true love of New Liberty when my father died,and the support (they) gave my mom,my brother, and me." (2)
