Our Story

The Lighthouse Christian Center began late in 1980 when Rev. Barbara Libby and her husband, Percy Libby, Jr. had a genuine desire to plant a church. They briefly held their worship services in a former school house in Gorham, Maine, but soon moved the meetings to a rented grange hall on Seavey Street in Westbrook in 1981. Rev. Libby not only preached her sermons, but also played the organ which provided the music for worship. Percy, affectionately known as "brother" Libby, enthusiastically led the congregation in singing.

After two years, the small congregation encouraged by Rev. Libby believed God could provide them their own church to worship Him. In faith they took out a loan to purchase five plus acres on Spring Street in 1982, and repaid the loan through sacrificial pledges from the members, teens, and even young children. The site plan for the new church was approved in September 1984. God strongly impressed Rev. Libby not to go to the bank for construction of the church building, but to trust Him to provide.

God moved through many individuals to supply every need for the building project including small and large financial gifts, building materials, equipment and laborers. In fact the majority of the work was done by unpaid volunteers consisting of members young and old, friends, family, and even strangers. On at least one occasion local commuters driving passed the worksite stopped to help lift the framed walls into place.

The Libby's son, Gary, a professional carpenter, loyally fulfilled the role of foreman throughout the construction. He directed all the men, women, and youth who labored many Saturdays for two years to complete the building project. The forty by eighty-foot house of worship was fully completed and solemnly dedicated to the Lord on June 21, 1987. God had miraculously provided a total of $196,000 to this small group of believers! Rev. Libby appropriately nicknamed the church, "God's Miracle on Spring Street".

Many ministries and activities thrived within the new church and extended to the community including regular Bible studies, Sunday School classes, junior choir, men's, women's, and senior ministries, vacation Bible schools, Christian Life theology classes, as well as a Christian school academy from 1988-1994. And there are many fond memories of Easter and Christmas pageants with all ages participating together as they portrayed the Bible stories with enthusiasm.

Regular worship services, and numerous weddings, funerals, salvation commitments, graduations, and special events took place throughout the thirty-six years of Rev. Libby's leading of the "Lighthouse family". Sadly, in May of 2018, God called our founder and Pastor Libby to her reward in heaven. She was predeceased by her loving husband, assistant pastor, and faithful song leader in February, 2001. Many lives were changed, impacted, and blessed by this couple's faithful service to God. They would often say, "All the praise belongs to our Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ".