Our Story

Hillcrest Baptist Church was born out of a vision for advancing God's kingdom in a growing community. In 1952, missionary Herman King recognized the spiritual need in the rapidly developing Hillcrest section of Morristown, Tennessee, and proposed establishing a new work to reach people with the gospel. With the support of the Tennessee Baptist Convention and First Baptist Church, Morristown, who became our sponsor, the mission began on May 18, 1952. From our very first service on February 28, 1954, held on the ground floor with Judson Taylor preaching, we have existed with a singular focus: leading people to life in Jesus Christ.

Leading people to life in Jesus has been woven into the fabric of our church from the beginning. Within months of our first service, representatives from four area Baptist churches gathered on August 8, 1954, to transform our Mission Arm into a fully constituted Baptist Church. From that moment on, we have existed to share Jesus beginning in the Hillcrest community and extending to the nations. This missional DNA didn't happen by accident. By God’s grace, it was built into us from day one, as we emerged from a missionary vision to reach the lost.

Over the decades since our constitution with 71 charter members, Hillcrest has become known as a caring place where people genuinely love Jesus, love one another, and love our community. Under the faithful leadership of pastors who have shepherded us through changing seasons, we have remained committed to the vision that sparked our beginning: being a church that exists to introduce people to the transforming power of Christ and to demonstrate His love through how we care for one another and serve our neighbors. This is who we are, and this is who we will continue to be.

This is our story and we are inviting you to become part of it!