About

Liberty Hill Presbyterian Church was founded in 1851 with an initial congregation of 10 men and 16 women. The original sanctuary was built in 1852. The current building was erected in 1880, and uses many of the original timbers, though the new building was oriented in a different direction, now facing east instead of south.

In May 1992, the church dedicated and opened the Miss Bettie Richards Hall, a place of fellowship built as an extension of the existing education building. The work was done largely by members of the church. The building also houses the Church Office. We are located at 20 Meeting Lane, Liberty Hill, SC 29074.

The Church Organ is the oldest pipe organ in South Carolina, originally built in 1820 by James Jackson of New York. The organ was gifted to Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Camden, SC, shortly after that church opened in 1820. The organ is built of solid mahogany wood and was originally pumped by hand. After Bethesda purchased a new organ in 1907, LHPC purchased the Jackson piece for $200 ($6,804.23 in 2025 dollars) and moved it to their sanctuary where it resides today. The organ was fully restored by J. Allan Farmer, Inc., organ builders in Winston-Salem, NC, and rededicated on March 17, 1996. The organ is one of only two known surviving James Jackson organs. The other was built in 1834 and can be found at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ellicottville, NY.

Our Pastor is Rev. Dr. David Leininger, who has led our congregation since 2023. David began his pastoral career at Liberty Hill in 1980 while he attended seminary in Columbia. After departing in 1984, he would serve various congregations across Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and North and South Carolina. He has also written several books, including A Colorblind Church, which details his experiences leading the congregation of LHPC in the early 1980s. To learn more, visit his website at Leiningers.com.

Our Minister of Music is Mica Jones. Since 2019, Mica has led the Liberty Hill Sanctuary Choir and congregational hymns. She also gives occasional solo performances, especially during our Lakeside Summer Services, and organizes and directs our yearly Christmas Cantata, which is always a blast!

Our Musician is Carol W. Ghent. Carol has been playing piano at various churches in South Carolina for nearly 60 years, doing so at Liberty Hill from 1997-2019 and again since 2023. Carol also plays our historic organ and is a member of the Sanctuary Choir. Her performances are always a joy during our services.

Our Office Manager is Karen Bailey. She is the main point of contact for most church affairs. Karen has been a member of the team since 2020. She is also the mom of Roxie, an 8-year-old “Schnatzu” (a schnauzer-shih tzu hybrid), who often accompanies her to the office.

Our Media Coordinator is Sebastian Jones. A Liberty Hill lifer, Sebastian is in charge of maintaining the Church’s marketing efforts, including its social media pages and this very website. He is also in charge of running and maintaining the church’s sound system and recording equipment.