Our Heritage
According to early reports, there were regular church services in the New Liberty community as early as the 1830’s. Services were held in the school house which was on the land of Richard Franklin, a local preacher. Mr. Franklin was not a member of the New Liberty Church, but he did have regular appointment to preach there. Friction arose over some matter and a group of men went at night and rolled the building to some adjoining land owned by Richard Owens. Because of this episode, the church as for years called “Rolling.” This first church was a log structure, and it’s charter members were John Jones, William Ivester, and David Fry.
Sometime in the 1860's Mr. Owens deeded about eight acres of land to the community for church purposes. A nice frame building was erected, the church was revitalized, and has carried on its work continuously since then. Rev. Robert McClure guided the Church during the early years, preaching, holding prayer meetings, class meetings and testimonial meetings. "Love Feasts" were often a part of the church program. Rev. McClure was also the charter Sunday Superintendent, and taught the adult class. It is believed that the church joined the conference in the 1870's. A Mr. Parks is the earliest pastor believed to have been sent from the conference.
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In 1932 the building was rolled across the highway in order to make room for enlargement without disturbing graves that had been placed too close to it. In the 1950’s it was recorded that Miss Mary McClure, almost ninety years old, was the last charter member of the Church in its first years in the Conference.
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The New Liberty Church sponsored the founding of the Turnerville Methodist Church in the 1880’s. It has sent out at least two ministers, Leonard McClure, a Baptist pastor, and Albert McClure, a Presbyterian pastor and director of the Presbyterian Home for Boys in North Carolina.