Our History
Summer 1975: SILVERTON COMMUNITY CLUB
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The Open Door Bible Baptist Church had its humble |
Fall 1975 - Fall 1977: THE OLDE METHODIST CHURCH
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The second home for our ministries was the old Methodist church, also located in the Silverton section of Toms River, where we rented on a month-to-month basis. It was here that Liberty Christian School had its beginning in October 1975, with 12 students in attendance that first day - 2 seniors, 2 n Kindergarten, and 8 in between! We finished the year with 32 students. It was in this location that we encountered our first major attack from the devil. Because of our position on liquor we were forced from the building ...onward to the East Dover Fire House. |
Fall 1977 - Fall 1978: EAST DOVER FIRE HOUSE
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Our experience at this location, the East Dover Fire House, earned us the title of "The Gypsy Church". We had around 60 young people in our school program, and each Friday all the students' belongings had to be "packed, pushed, and shoved" into our church bus and unloaded every Sunday night! Services always had the potential of real excitement, such as fire alarms going off! |
Winter 1978 - Summer 1979: PEPPERTREE DRIVE
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For brief periods of time during our transitions from building to building, services were held at Pastor Siebold's home on Peppertree Drive in Toms River. |
Summer 1979 - Fall 1979: DUGAN LANE
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"Dugan Lane" was the name of the temporary home of ODBBC and LCS (and the first home of New Life Bible Camp, now Kids Bible Club). When we bought this building it was a wreck with a lot of potential, but much hard and expensive work stood between the vision and reality. While in the middle of remodeling this building, the Squankum Star Club became available for purchase. |
Summer 1979 - Fall 1980: SQUANKUM STAR CLUB
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This is the Squankum Star Club, built by neighborhood folks back in 1935 with second-hand lumber from a resort hotel in Lakewood. It had been used for wedding receptions and other functions, but as the years rolled along the members passed away and the building was put up for sale. We purchased it in 1979 and turned it into a church. The dance floor became the sanctuary, the bandstand became the pulpit area, the bar became a Sunday School room, and the kitchen became the nursery. |
October 20, 1980: THE FIRE
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On October 20, 1980, at approximately 12 midnight, someone entered the church with an ample supply of gasoline and matches, set upon destroying our work here in Howell. By 3 o'clock in the morning the building was completely engulfed in flames. Every piece of fire equipment in Howell township was on the scene - their efforts didn't save the super-structure but the foundation was not destroyed! The first Sunday after the fire we met in a tent on the grounds. It was cold, but exciting. The devil had lost a victory and the church would still go on! |
Fall 1980 - Fall 1981: THE RANCH
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"The Ranch", the nickname given to Pastor and Mrs. Siebold's home, has been a place of special blessing to many folks over the years. During the time of reconstruction, it was used as the church auditorium and Sunday School classes. The K4 through 3rd grade classes met there for school during the year of the fire. |
Fall 1980 - Fall 1981: REBUILDING OUR CHURCH
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It took approximately 6 months of hard labor to prepare the foundation for the log cabin church. The shipment of logs arrived in March 1981, and construction began immediately. It took just one week for all the logs to be put in place, with windows and doors set! The building was completed and the dedication service was held on Sunday, November 1, 1981. |
1986: ADDITION OF THE WING
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This picture shows the addition of four large classrooms which were erected on what we call "the wing". The classrooms are used for Sunday School, Liberty Christian School, children's churches, etc. |
1991 - 1995: ADDITION OF NEW AUDITORIUM, GYMNASIUM
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In 1992 we began construction on the 10,000 sq. foot addition behind the log cabin building. This addition now houses our church auditorium and a gymnasium. |