History of Local Church

A series of Holy Ghost revival meeting and community outreach programs gave birth to the Beloit Church of God of Prophecy. F. Guy Robinson came to evangelize Beloit from Gas City, IN, in the fall of 1930. Robinson and his family raised a gospel tent on the corner of Tenth Street and Middle Avenue. Preaching Jesus Christ as Saviour, Sanctifier, Baptizer in the Holy Ghost, and gathering of all God’s children, Brother Robinson conducted the tent services until the weather became too severe. From here he and the first group of interested community members rented a vacant building at 1020 Fourth Street. The work was elevated from a mission to the first established Wisconsin congregation, of The Church of God of Prophecy, in May of 1931. The Beloit church served as the mother congregation for subsequent churches through out Wisconsin. F Guy Robinson served as the Beloit pastor and First Wisconsin State Overseer until September 1934. F. R. Olson came to Beloit and served as the Church’s second pastor from September 1934 to September 1936. Membership by covenant in the Beloit church grew to over a hundred, as their tradition of evangelistic outreach continued to grow in the Beloit area. The first native Beloit person to serve as pastor and State Overseer was E. S. Johns, who was appointed to these positions in the fall of 1936. The Beloit Church of God of Prophecy was not only noted for its style of Holy Ghost worship and revivals, but became a source of ministers and workers for the Church. After some temporary moves, the local congregation purchased its present building site at 1525 Liberty Avenue in 1939. Despite the Great Depression and its hardships, the local congregation was able to erect a sanctuary. In February 1968 adjacent property was secured for the pastor’s parsonage. Some of the former ministers that you might hear of from time to time include Yvonia Bell, Larry Bell, Jim Weathers, Windell Moore, C. Samuel Brackett, John Pace, Rory Sawtelle, Jeremy Weathers and Mark Testerman. In 1995, under the faithful and Godly leadership of Pastor Rory Sawtelle, the Beloit Church of God of Prophecy adopted the community name of Liberty Christian Fellowship. Pastor Mark Elland has been the Senior Pastor since he was  appointed in May 2002.

Proverbs 29:18 tells us “Where there is no vision, the people perish (18a),” with this in mind Liberty Christian Fellowship has adopted the following Purpose Statement. This purpose statement goes hand in hand with the mission as outlined by the Church of God of Prophecy General Headquarters. It is of paramount importance that the Body of Christ have direction, when the Children of Israel were wandering around in the desert, although they were wandering, God was providing the direction. Whether as a pillar of cloud by day or as a pillar of fire by night. God also provided direction to the people by providing them with the Ten Commandments, written with the finger of God. Seeing the church in the wilderness as a type and shadow of the New Testament Church, some sort of direction needs to be set. Not as a man made creed whereby we place our faith, but as a sort of road map, with which to set our spiritual compass.

Purpose Statement

As one family we are committed to the worship of God, through His Son Jesus Christ. By sharing the hope and truth of His love and grace for all resulting in a new freedom for any individual to truly know God and to learn to worship Him with all our heart, mind, and soul, as we each minister unto Him and to one another. In this purpose statement, we find the six fold ministry aim of Liberty Christian Fellowship:

• Worship
• Evangelism
• Deliverance
• Fellowship
• Discipleship
• Ministry (active)