LIGHTHOUSE BAPTIST PRESS MINISTRY

THE HISTORY
OF
LIGHTHOUSE

BAPTIST PRESS

Liberty Baptist Tabernacle was established in November of 1979, and chartered New Year's Day, 1980, with 33 members. Sunday, August 25, 1985, Dennis Deneau visited the church for the evening service. He presented the Biblical concept of Scripture production by local churches.

That was the first time the Biblical concept was presented to Liberty Baptist Tabernacle. He showed that God gave His Word to churches for reproduction, not to book publishing houses and book stores. A new vision was born at Liberty Baptist Tabernacle that night!

Pastor Williams was urged by Dennis Deneau to visit Dr. Don Fraser in Bowie, Texas, the missionary who first had the vision of Scripture production in the twentieth centruy churches rather than in the publishing houses. Pastor Williams did go to Bowie in October of 1985.

After sitting under Dr. Fraser's instruction on Scripture production, Pastor Williams returned with two convictions: 1) Liberty Baptist Tabernacle must get involved somehow in Local Church Scripture production, and 2) Liberty Baptist Tabernacle must become debt-free and stay that way.

For a short time after that, Liberty Baptist Tabernacle helped Brother Deneau with a pocket-sized Spanish John/Romans project for Mexico City, and also with some English John/Romans.

During this time, William Byers was pastoring in Custer, South Dakota, and had likewise been exposed to the Bearing Precious Seed ministry of Dr. Fraser. He too, became convinced he must get involved in this Scripture work. During a time of fellowship, Pastor Williams and Pastor Byers discovered they had a mutual burden for the Scripture work.

Pastor Byers later resigned his church in Custer, joined Liberty Baptist Tabernacle, and the church launched a Scripture production ministry with Brother and Mrs. Byers going on the road full time as Bearing Precious Seed missionaries out of Liberty Baptist Tabernacle.

Brother Byers raised funds for paper and other expenses related to this work as well as their own personal support. He also held King James conferences and went to several mission fields with Scriptures in hand. Brother Byers enlisted other churches as partners in the work of Scripture production. The Biblical concept of By love serve one another (Galatians 5:13) became the mode of operation. Brother Byers, after a successful ministry has been promoted to heaven.

Scripture signatures and covers were printed elsewhere, and Liberty Baptist Tabernacle was involved in collating, stapling, cutting, and shipping, but that would change in 1996!

A giant step of faith was taken by Liberty Baptist Tabernacle in June, 1996, when a five-web News King press was purchased from the Milldale International Ministries in Zachary, Louisiana for $75,000.00.

Liberty Baptist Tabernacle did not have the money to make such a purchase. The church, however, voted to buy the equipment by faith, and began raising funds. It was a real step of faith to raise the money over six months.

There was no building for the press, but when the Lord is in something, he always supplies the needs. McKie Ford of Rapid City had a warehouse sitting empty, and they allowed the equipment to be stored there, free of charge, for about two years.

Then, McKie Ford needed their building. Something had to be done - soon! Pastor and Mrs. Williams had ten acres on the south side of Rapid City where they had built one stage of their home. After prayer and discussion, they offered to allow the church to build a storage building on the ten acres. Work was begun in August of 1997.

As the storage building was being built, excitement to get the press running began to grow. Funds for the building came in from all directions. Almost all labor was donated, and building materials were donated from many sources. What was to be just a storage building ended up being a 48 feet by 60 feet print shop! On September 7, 1998, the print shop was dedicated - DEBT-FREE! The press was also by then PAID IN FULL!

A miracle indeed had taken place in both building and press. ONLY THE LORD BE PRAISED FOR ALL THIS! IT IS HIS WORK, NOT MAN'S! Except the Lord build the house they labor in vain who build it. (Psalm 127:1) Lighthouse Baptist Press was the name chosen for the press and the print shop because of Psalm 119:105: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. God's Word always gives light in a dark world.

THE PRESS IS ROLLING ¾ PRINTING GOD'S PRECIOUS WORD! In February of 1999, the first 50,000 John/Romans in English were printed on Lighthouse Baptist Press and were carried by ship to Australia as Precious Seed of God's Word. MAY IT CONTINUE TO ROLL UNTO THE COMING OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

HELPERS ARE

NEEDED

This ministry of Scripture production needs helpers and supporters. The job is too big for Liberty Baptist Tabernacle alone. Prayers, financial gifts and volunteer labor in the print shop are needed. It takes many hands and many dollars to get the Word of God to the world.

Interested individuals and groups could plan vacation time for the beautiful Black Hills where Mt. Rushmore is located - only twenty miles from the print shop - and spend some time working on Scriptures. IT IS INDEED A MISSIONS MINISTRY! There is parking room on the ten acres for tents, motor homes, vans, buses, and travel trailers. Interested parties should call the church at 605-342-6930 for more details.

The first group from out of state to work in the print shop was from Grace Baptist Church of Gassville, Arkansas. Harvey Seehusen is the pastor there.