HILLTOP BAPTIST CHURCH
" Standing on the promise of God's Word "
Hilltop Baptist Church
11269 CR 4117
Frankston, TX 75763
United States
ph: 903-876-3904
About Us
Our History
This is a very brief history of Hilltop Baptist Church. There are numerious other events and people not mentioned here who have been instrumental in the establishment of this church.
May 27, 1973, was the date for the first service of what is now known as Hilltop Baptist Church with six people going foward to transfer their membership in response to the message delivered by Bro. J.A.Griffin. Those responding were Ruby and Durwood Burris,Polly and Floyd Byrd and Ann and Frank Owens. The first meeting was held in a small mobile home. The Church later met in a bait house directly across the street from the present location.
Kenneth Simmons was called as an evangelist to hold a revival on August 12,1973. He was called as pastor at a later date.Ruby Burris Led the music and Bess Howell,Hellen McMillan and Bess Howell served as pianist at this time.
Durwood and Ruby Burris donated land for the church. Nov.18th 1973 was the ground breaking. The frame work went up April 20th and the roof was added on the 27th. All labor,material and brickwork was donater
In 1974 the youth met in the bait house. Saturday night was set aside for them. The nursing home ministry was set up for the 2nd Thursday of the month.
Roy Durrett and Alan Clay were ordained as deacons Nov,23,1974 with Willis Guillott as senior deacon.
The piano and Organ was donated by Ann and Frank Owens and Hellen McMillan.
In 1974 The church joined the Southern Baptist Convention
Bro.Bob Densman was Pastor 1975-1977 Bro.Earl Horton Pastor 1978-1983
The baptistery was built March 1979.
In 1983 Bro.George Folmar was called to pastor. A cornorstone was placed May 27th 1983.
Bro George resigned in 1971 after 7 1/2 years. Bro Charles Russell was interim pastor.
Bro James Engle was Pastor from 1991. After him was Ron Ivey
Feb 13th bro. Shane Morgan passed after pastoring three years.
In 2008 Bro. George Folmar led the church till a pastor was sent to us.
On October, 12th 2008 Brother Steven R. Palmer became pastor of Hilltop. Liz Fabian is music director, Charolett Miller secretary,Frances West our piano player. In November of 2009 The church called Rodney McDuff as Youth minester.
In 2009 we added rock walls to our office ,finishing the projects for the year.In January 2010 Jim and Shirley Pointer presented a new pull-pit to the church in memory of both their parents.
The 17th of January 2010 thru the 3rd of February Hilltop Baptist Church held a two week revival. Brother Andy Russell was our primary speaker . Our Lord graced us with his Holy Spirit and Twenty Four Decisions was made for Jesus. On The second week Brother Ray Hall who led a group of twelve men from his church in Mississippi to come to hilltop and help with the revival. We had singers from Tenn., La., and our area. Churches from Sunnyvale, Jacksonville. New York, Marietta Miss. They Were part of our spiritual experience that took place in our Church.
Rodney McDuff left Hilltop in July 2010 to join the Police Acadimy.
Continue Below
Hilltop
Written by Roy Wendell Durrett
How God built a church and named it Hilltop Baptist Church.
The beginning – We started in the old bait house across the street. (Some of the people begin in a trailer house near the water tower.) They started it with about 6 couples that wanted a place to worship God. Ann and I did not know the church planter that started the meetings. Kenneth Simmons was the pastor.
God had gave a future and a start with the power of the Holy Sprit.
We moved in across the street from the pastor in the family’s lake house. Troy and Wanda and Mom and Dad built it.
The Pastor Kenneth Simmons and his wife Mable Lois greeted us. They invited us to the little church on the hill. This was late in the year of 1971. We met in the old bait house for a while and finally got enough money to buy $400.00 for the foundation for our building. We had the lumber delivered for the foundation and had a ground breaking party and framed up the foundation. James Simmons lead us as the builder because he was the only professional carpenter. James and his sons was the roofers Al Clay did the AC.
We were off building and just trusting God for the next money for materials. At the end of that first day we had collected over $ 1000.00 from the people that passed by just asking what we were building.
God is so good.
Thank God for the women on the hill for all the good food each Saturday as we built the building
The next Saturday we ordered our concrete and started to pour the slab. We did not know how to finish it to have a smooth surface but God had some one that did. Just as we finished pouring the concrete a truck of men from Fairfield drove up and said, “We heard you were building a church? Can we help?” These men had all the equipment to finish the slab. They broke out the power trowels and we went to work. At the end of the day we had a beautiful slab and was off and going. We received money all day from passer by folks.
Oh what a blessing! God is so good!
We ordered more lumber and begin to frame the building. A lady in Frankston paid for the bricks John Simmons got a crew of bricklayers to come out of Longview, Texas to lay bricks at no charge. (John Simmons could make the best chili you ever tasted.)
From that day it just kept getting better.
People were hearing the Word and being saved and baptized in the lake. God was growing us in numbers and wisdom. The church saw the need to have deacons and choose Al Clay and Roy Durrett observed them for 6 months. Then on November 23rd 1973 they were ordained as the first deacons.
Ruby Burris was leading the music in the beginning.
In 1972 the church elected Roy Durrett as song leader and Margaret Myers pianist. Kenneth Simmons ask the church about starting a singing the 3rd Saturday of the month. We agreed and a new era began. We had a full house many times. A third deacon moves to the hill and joined the church. It was Willis Guillott and wife. Willis was a singer and he took over the music in 1974.
our heart.
Our Goal
Lead the lost to Christ.
Hilltop's
Past Leaders
Deacons
Bill Benton
James Mckinney
Edward Hobson
C.J O'Neal
Ron Moore
Willis Guillott
Roy Durrett
Allen Clay
Bill Gulihur
James Pointer
Troy Durrett
Wilburn Smith
Bill Harden
Hilltop Baptist Church
11269 CR 4117
Frankston, TX 75763
United States
ph: 903-876-3904
