Our Pastor

Rev. Dr. Richard Marcus Rice has been a preacher in the gospel ministry for 50 years. On August 2, 1935, Richard Marcus Rice was the third child born to Earbie L. and Mable E. Rice in Sandusky, Ohio. Richard grew up in a Baptist Christian home of singers and musicians.

In December 1956, after attending the Sandusky public schools, and beginning college at Capitol University, Rev. Rice was called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. In June 1957, Rev. Rice was licensed to preach at the Second Baptist Church, Sandusky, Ohio, under the late pastor, Richard Ashburn. After completing his bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology in 1960 at Central State College, he went on to complete the Master of Divinity Degree in 1963 at Virginia Union University. He was soon ordained as a Minister of the Gospel through the Virginia Union School of Religion in Richmond, Virginia.

While completing his education at Virginia Union, Rev. Rice met and married Elizabeth “Betty” Patricia Johnson, the  daughter of Dr. Ford T. Johnson and Dr. Elizabeth J. Johnson. Of this union, Rev. Rice has been blessed with two fine sons, Richard Kevin and Marcus Earbie, two daughter-in-law; four granddaughters and one grandson.

During his pastorate at Union Grove Baptist Church, Pastor Rice accepted a position at the Central State Hospital as Chaplain. Prior to the acceptance of this position at Central State Hospital, Pastor Rice completed an intensive course in Clinical Pastoral Counseling at the Medical College of Virginia.

Pastor Rice and his family moved to Washington, DC, where he was called to pastor the Second New Hope Baptist Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia. His religious motto for the church was unanimously accepted and became known as “Under the Rainbow of Hope.” During his astorate at the Second New Hope Baptist Church, Pastor Rice accepted a position of probation officer with the DC Superior Court, where he was humorously referred to as having a “Bible in one hand and the handcuffs in the other.”

Pastor Rice’s mother, Mable, passed away in 1973 and he accomplished the very difficult task of preaching her eulogy per her request.

Pastor Rice was unanimously called to the pastorate of the Liberty Baptist Church, Washington, DC in November 1976. He was called as the seventh pastor of Liberty and preached his first sermon as  pastor-elect, in December 1976.

During his pastorate at the Liberty Baptist Church, Pastor Rice has been a praying, preaching and hard working minister of the gospel. Many accomplishments have been made under his leadership. The pastor and church family have unified efforts in fulfilling God’s plan over the past  years and if it be God’s will, for many years to come.

In November of 1991, through God’s help, Pastor Rice was able to retire as a probation officer from the district government, enabling him to devote more time to what God has called him to be, a preacher of the gospel.

Pastor Rice recognizes the fact that without God’s help and the cooperation of the Liberty family, many accomplishments would not have been possible. Let us then take this unity  of God, Church and Pastor and continue to Bind Together in Christian Love. “For greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.”