Leadership

Pastors and Staff

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Blake & Kassie Larson

Lead Pastor and Interim Worship Leader

Pastor Blake and his wife, Kassie, have been on staff at Liberty Church since 2010. For 11 years, Pastor Blake served in a variety of capacities, including tech arts, youth, young adults, and as an Associate Pastor. After years of mentoring under his senior pastor, Pastor Blake became our new Lead Pastor in 2021! His passions are discipleship, mentoring, and helping people find their unique gifts to help them accomplish their God-given purposes in life. Kassie is our Interim Worship Leader and has worked in a variety of capacities here at Liberty, including kids and youth ministries, Vacation Bible School, Ladies Ministry, and more. If you have any questions, feel free to send Pastor Blake or Kassie a message!

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Autumn Rice

Executive Pastor

Autumn is a homegrown minister! Autumn started as a student in Elevate Student Ministries, and she was a member of  Liberty for many years before her family moved to Texas. After graduating from high school, she moved back to North Carolina, where she started her journey as a pastoral intern. She did such a good job, we just had to add her to our full-time staff! Currently, Autumn oversees finances, events, is part of our counseling team, and has a hand in all of our administrative needs. If it happens at Liberty, Pastor Autumn helps make it happen! She is an incredible minister for the gospel, and we are so blessed that she chose to make Liberty her home. 

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Jared Woody

Youth Minister

Jared and his wife, Beatrice, have been attending Liberty Church since 2018 and joined the staff in August 2024. Together, they lead Elevate Student Ministries, assist Pastors Drew and Carrie with running our kids ministry, head up the security team, lead our sports teams, and more! Jared is our resident jack-of-all-trades here on staff, with a background that ranges from law enforcement and construction to leading and discipling youth. Having both grown up spending time outside and participating in athletics, Jared and Beatrice enjoy getting to know both students and adults with the help of a little friendly competition. We are so grateful to have the Woodys on our team!

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Drew & Carrie Gipson

Children's Pastors

Pastors Drew and Carrie have been part of our Liberty family since 1999! They started as members, then joined our staff as Kids Ministers in 2021. After becoming ordained by Pastor Blake, they became missionaries with the Living Water Adopt-A-Child program in 2023! They re-joined us on the home front in July of 2025 as Children's Pastors, and while we know they were doing amazing work in Guatemala and Albania, we are so grateful to have them back! 

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Kate McElroy

Events Coordinator

Kate McElroy (formerly, Francis) has been a member of Liberty since 2013! Joining our staff part-time in February 2023 and getting hired on full-time in May 2024, Kate has a hand in planning and executing a number of events, managing our social media, and updating our website. Kate is also one of our photographers and the leader of our Capture Team. Her husband, Andrew, is also a leader on our worship team and plays a number of instruments! When Kate isn't helping out with events or working in the office, you'll usually find her with her nose in a book at Stable Grounds. 

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John & Melinda McElroy

Elders
John and Melinda are vital members of Liberty Church! Since they started attending, they have been involved in a variety of capacities. Melinda is the leader of our Liberty Ladies Ministry, John is involved in our Men's Ministry, and they are group leaders. They are also currently members of our prayer team, Melinda is on our choir and went through our internship, and John is part of our security team!
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Tom & Libba Hines

Elders
Tom and Libba have been attending Liberty for a long time! They have gone through many life phases and challenges while being faithful and dutiful members. Tom and Libba are a huge part of our Care Team and invest so much energy into overseeing ministries and making sure everything is done with excellence. Tom brings the laughter, and Libba brings the perseverance. They make a wonderful partnership and add so much to Liberty's Leadership Team!
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Mike & Heather Helm

Deacons
Mike and Heather have been some of Liberty's most faithful members for the last several years. They have served in nursery, children, media, youth, and countless other ministries. Mike assists us with our "Helps" ministry (making sure our people are taken care of when needs arise). Their kids, Noah, Faith, and Adam, are in Elevate Student Ministries and assist with our kids' ministry and tech arts team. We are grateful for their willingness to serve on Liberty's Leadership Team!
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Mary Joe & Josh Kaiser

Deacons
Mary Joe and Josh Kaiser are the most recent additions to our deacons and elders! They are involved in numerous activities here at Liberty, including the Care Team, Capture Team, Ladies' and Men's Ministries, and have even assisted with the youth ministry. Throughout the week, you'll find them working at Camp Albemarle or out on their boat with their dog, Valor, enjoying God's Creation!
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About

If you're new to Liberty, click here to hear our story or here to discover what a typical service is like. Feel free to call us during office hours or send us a message here! We can't wait to hear from you. 

Service Times

Sundays: 9:30 a.m.
Wednesdays: 7:00 p.m.
Office Hours: Monday - Thursday
from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Contact Info

(252) 447-7839
81 Shepard Street
Havelock, NC 28532

© 2026 Liberty Church of Havelock

The Church Co