Elder Leadership

Following New Testament teaching, Liberty Baptist is an elder-led church, with two of the elders serving as full time pastors. The elders' mission is to oversee the work and ministry of the church and to protect the doctrinal purity and spiritual vitality of the church. Currently, Liberty has six elders, All of the elders are equal in authority and make decisions by unanimous conscent.

Rusty N. Small (Preaching Pastor)

		Rusty Small now serves as Preaching Pastor for Liberty Baptist Church after ministering as Pastor of Youth and Education from January 2004 to April 2008. His wife, Melissa, is engaged in the youth and music ministries. Rusty also enjoys teaching and oversees the educational ministries of the church. Rusty received a B.A. in Religion (specialization biblical studies) from Liberty University, a Masters of Divinity in Advanced Biblical Studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is presently a Ph.D. (candidate) in Biblical Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
		>> Email Pastor Small <<

Mark L. Landry (Music and Worship Pastor)

		Dr. Mark Landry has been serving as Pastor of Music and Senior Adults since September 1998. Mark, his wife, Sandra, and his daughter, Alexis, are all active in the musical life at Liberty. Mark is originally from Louisiana and has a B.A. from Louisiana Tech University, a M.M. from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and a D.M.A. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
		>> Email Pastor Landry<<

Jim Searcy (Elder)

		Jim Searcy is one of Liberty's six elders, elected in 2006. He teaches an adult Sunday school class using an open discussion format. He is actively involved in ministry to shut-ins and leads small group discussions in the jail and prison ministry. Jim first made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ at age 14 at youth camp. He rededicated his life at 43 at a small Bible study in Trenton, Georgia. Jim was ordained as a deacon at Liberty in 1987. Jim's has participated in short-term mission trips to Tanzania, Guatemala and New Orleans after Katrina. He has spoken for the Gideons in churches. Jim and his wife, Penelope, have been married for 47 years. and have raised 4 children. Their daughters Sarah Caldwell and Missy Wheeler live in Appomattox Co. and son Jay Searcy is planting a church in Hamtramck, MI. The Searcys have 11 grandchildren.
		>> Email Elder Searcy <<

Fred Kruschwitz (Elder)

		Fred Kruszhwitz is one of Liberty's six elders, elected in 2006. He came to know Jesus as his Savior at the age of 24 and has been active in Christian ministry since that time. He has served for many years in local churches as youth leader, Sunday School teacher, junior church leader, deacon and prison and jail ministry teacher. He and his wife, Margaret, have been married 40 years and have three children and three grandchildren.

Johnny Canada (Elder)

		Johnny Canada is one of Liberty's six elders, elected in 2006. A native of Appomattox, Johnny and his wife, Vicki, have 3 grown children and 7 grandchildren. "Giving up to God through Christ Jesus in 1969, I was convicted that we are all called to honor Him in service," Johnny says. "Only those things He does, in and through us, have any eternal value." In addition to teaching an adult Sunday school class, Johnny leads a Bible study for teen boys two Sunday's a month, is actively involved in prision ministry and is the caretaker for the Liberty cemetery. On sunny days, he rides his Harley to make ministry visits.

Jack Caldwell (Elder)

		Jack Caldwell accepted Christ and was baptised at Liberty Baptist Church in 1948 at the age of 9. He has been a Sunday school teacher for almost fifty years and has served as a deacon and currently as an elder at Liberty. With the spiritual gifts of teaching and compassion for others, Jack is passionate about teaching, witnessing to the lost, serving in the prison and jail ministry, visiting shut-ins and distributing Bibles as a Gideon member. He and his wife, Barbara, celebrated their 50th wedding annivesary in 2009. They have three children who all serve in church ministry as well - John and his wife, Nancy, have two daughters, Ginny and Kalie; Rick and his wife, Karen, have three children, Wilson, John Mark and Whitney; and Anne and her husband, Jeff Watts, have a daughter, Kayla and a son, Colby.