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The Adventist work in the MansfieldTownship vicinity began in 1935. In the beginning the work here was small. They first met in a private home – they had no church building in which to worship.
The very first meetings were held in the home (a log cabin) of Brother and Sister Samuel Hughes with a small group consisting of Brother and Sister Samuel Hughes, Brother and Sister Godfrey Beckett, Brother and Sister J. Martin, Sr., and Sister Phyllis Ann Gillespie. It was Sister Gillespie that became the first known Seventh-day Adventist in this area.
As time went on this mission group began to grow until it became recognized as a church. The first formal formation of the Hillcrest church as such took place under the pastorate of Pastor Jethro H. Lester of Newark, New Jersey Church being organized in the Allegheny Conference 1951. A decision was made soon after to start building a sanctuary for the Lord. In the year 1955, the HillcrestChurch was completed and dedicated under Pastor Lester’s leadership. Thus the first 20 years (1935-1955) had seen a small but zealous group of believers move from worshiping in a member’s home to having a place to worship of their own.
There were eleven charter members who became the nucleus of the formation of the first Hillcrest church. The eleven charter members were Godfrey Beckett, Marian Beckett, Ruth Brown, Orvin Davis, Montrose Davis, Magda Clarke, Samuel Hughes, Lula Hughes, Ethel Forbes Robinson, Charles Winfield, and Daisy Winfield.
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The “new” church building completed in the 50’s was a lighthouse to the community and a testimony to the faith of these early believers. It’s position on route 57 was a visual reminder of the blessings of the Lord and it often found passers-by worshiping within its hallowed walls. After a number of years, through faithful giving, the mortgage was burned, on June 15, 1968 during the ministry of Pastor Paul Cantrell.
The church membership continued to increase by transfers until 1970 when the first tent effort for Adventism was conducted in this part of the Lord’s vineyard. Pastor Melvin Hayden conducted the first evangelistic tent effort in Anderson, New Jersey, and as a result many precious souls were added to the faith by baptism.
For many years the members shared pastors with Trinity Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church of Newark, New Jersey and the Metropolitan Seventh-day Adventist Church of Plainfield, New Jersey. During 1972 to 1974, Hillcrest was then given their first full-time pastor which was Pastor Haywood Weatherford. The membership grew by baptisms again when Pastor Weatherford conducted evangelistic efforts in the Easton, Pennsylvania area in the early to mid-1970s. During his tenure, a building fund was established. The purchase of a family owned and operated restaurant adjacent to the church, from Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Robinson. This new land acquisition would be used for a parking lot and the building for outreach ministries. The restaurant was later named “The Better Living Center.”
In addition to the above persons, there have been a number of individuals who have been important in regards to the shepherding of the Hillcrest congregation. The first of which is the late Godfrey Beckett, who not only was a pioneer in this area but served as its revered leader through the years. Elder Beckett was respected and applauded both in the church and in the community. Not only was Elder Beckett involved in the building of the original Hillcrest church, but he was significantly involved in the building of the current Hillcrest church as well. No job was beneath him. He was willing to do whatever it took to get the job done.
Our church has been privileged to have outstanding leaders throughout the years. Our current pastor is Dr. Kevin L. Jenkins. |
