Jonathan Purks was raised in Frederick, MD. His father, the late Pastor Louis Purks, moved to the area when Jonathan was very young. After pastoring an existing church for a few years, Louis Purks started Victory Baptist Church. This afforded Jonathan the opportunity to be a part of the church from its very beginning.
Growing up in a Pastor’s home greatly influenced Jonathan’s life. Christian principles and Biblical truth were intertwined with everyday living. God’s Word was consistently taught and lived out before him. Godly parents who loved the Lord, a Christian education and a Biblical church all helped provide the right foundation.
Jonathan learned Jesus Christ died for His sins. He believed the true accounts given in God’s Word of the Savior’s life. While still a young man, the conviction of his own sin came with great force. He acknowledged his wrongdoing before God and by faith accepted the salvation only Christ could provide.
Things changed immediately. God imparted a zeal to share the Scriptures with others. This carried forwarded into his life with two major milestones and many ministry opportunities: At the age of 12 Jonathan surrendered his life to God; at the age of 17 God called him into the gospel ministry.
Jonathan graduated from the three-year Faith Bible Institute offered by his church. He then spent two years training at Lehigh Valley Baptist Church while attending their own local church institute to continue his Biblical and pastoral education.
In September of 2004 Jonathan and his family moved back to Frederick, MD where he accepted a full-time position on staff at Victory Baptist Church and served alongside his Father. In May of 2007 VBC ordained Jonathan as a minister of the gospel.
Pastor Jonathan Purks was given the very special privilege and honor of following in the footsteps of His father and pastoring the very church he attended from its birth. He became the lead pastor in March of 2009 and continues to serve in that position today.
Paul Morrison was raised in Stormville, NY, graduating from Arlington High School in 1992. He attended the State University of New York from 1992-94, earning an Associate’s Degree in Aerospace Technology. In the fall of 1994, he transferred to the University of North Dakota (UND), to continue his studies in commercial aviation, graduating in 1997 with a Bachelor of Business Degree in Airport Management.
While attending UND, Pastor Morrison was saved in January 1995, after attending the Baptist Campus Ministries for four months. He learned from the Bible about his need for salvation and the answer to his sinful condition, the Lord Jesus Christ. Within 18 months, God called him into the gospel ministry, to give his life for the preaching of the Good News of Jesus Christ, and to invest his life into the lives of others.
After UND, Pastor Paul attended the Northland Baptist Bible Institute from 1997-2000, graduating with a degree in Theology. In October 1999, Paul and Julie were married, and over the years, God has blessed them with four children.
His first opportunity for ministry was as an Assistant Pastor at Bible Baptist Church, in Grand Forks, ND (2000-2003), laboring alongside Pastor Mike Custer and Assistant Pastor Scott Kuzel.
In 2004, Bible Baptist Church sent Paul & Julie Morrison to his “home” area of NY, where they planted the Liberty Baptist Church of Fishkill, NY. The first service was held in February 2005, and the church was officially organized in September 2011. During their time at LBC, God gave the Morrisons and LBC a special interest and burden for the Kingdom of Swaziland. After God’s direct leadership, the Morrison Family moved to Swaziland in 2017 to help with the establishing of Mbabane Bible Baptist Church, which was organized in April 2023.
Now in their next chapter, the Morrisons are here in Frederick, MD, ministering on the pastoral staff of Victory Baptist Church. They are excited for the new door that God has opened for them and look forward to ministering to both the church, community, and beyond!
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