History

How Hillcrest Baptist Church came to be is an exciting story of the dedication of a group of people who wanted to provide a place in their community for the study and worship of God.

The journeystarted in July, 1952 with a gathering of eleven personsinterested in beginning a church in the Hillcrest Heights area.  This first session was held at the home Mrs. Ethel Mossburg on Iverson Street and was constituted as a church in 1955 with 284 members. 

Rev Charles Sheets guided the first worship service in 1952.  Rev Anthony Bort (1953 – 1954), Rev. Herbert Reamy served as pastor to the 284 members(1955-57) and  Rev. Wayne Scott served as pastor(1957  –  68) during which time the church aquired most of its present property.  The Educational Building was constructed in 1960 and dedicated in the same year.

Rev. David Hall became pastor (1968) and led the church in breaking ground for the new sanctuary.  The church held its first worship sewrvice in the new sanctuary in December, 1969 and was dedicated on January 04, 1970.  Rev. Kenneth Thornton served as pastor(1969 – 1975).

In 1976, Rev. Hubert G.  Keefer was called as pastor and served faithfully for 24 years until his death in April 2000.  The church experienced tremendous growth under Rev. Keefer’s ministry.   He instilled in the congregation a zeal for the Great Commission and a deep commitment to international missions.

In 2001, Rev. Eric Redmond, a professor Biblical Studies and Theology at Washington Bible College, was installed as pastor and served until November 2008.