History
History of Holiday Hills Baptist Church
Mission Status
In the summer of 1968, the need and lack of a spiritual ministry to
this Holiday Hills area impressed a group of Christians led by Dr.
Kenneth Bradshaw, who was pastor of Calvary Baptist Church.
Vacation Bible School was the best opportunity to reach children
and youth, thus a house in the 5400 block of North 9th was rented
for that purpose. Workers from Calvary Baptist Church cooperated
and helped to make this first mission VBS a great success.
On July 2, 1969 notification had been received of the approval to
purchase the three-bedroom house at 5334 North 9th. Prayers
were the heart and soul of the plan to proceed with the mission
work. Another Vacation Bible School was held which saw an
enrollment of 100. Immediately following VBS, Sunday school was
organized and met on Sunday afternoons. Workers were enlisted
from Calvary Baptist Church to serve up to five classes each week.
In December 1969, the need for regular worship with preaching
was felt. The Rev. Jerry Poteet called as pastor, March 1, 1970,
to Calvary Baptist Church, contacted Rev. T. G. Oliphant, pastor
of Macedonia Baptist Church, to seek a candidate for part time
pastor ship at the Holiday Hills Baptist Church Mission. The Rev.
Montgomery Ashford was hired as a part-time temporary pastor
in 1970 to lead Holiday Hills Baptist Church Mission. During the
year of 1970 the response was great.
In 1970, due to over crowding the Mission Committee of Calvary
began prayerfully to find a site where more room could be
provided. After much prayer and study, the Mission Committee
recommended that property in the 5300 block of Capital Ave. be
purchased. The recommendation was accepted in the April 1970
business meeting. The property was purchased through FHA with
restrictions that the badly vandalized houses be incorporated in the
new building plans. Also, voted on at the April 1970 business
meeting was that Bro. Ashford be called as an associate Pastor of
Calvary Baptist Church, in charge of Holiday Hills Mission and
would be salaried at this time.
Calvary met for regular business meeting in May 1970 where the
recommendation was approved and they received an interest free
loan. In the August 1970 business meeting at Calvary, the
committees for Missions brought a recommendation that faith be
put into action in the Lord's work and build the building on the
property in the Holiday Hills area. Soon after, the contract for the
new building was agreed upon and the Mission worship place was
under construction.
ln April 1972, about 105 members of Holiday Hills Baptist Mission
helped dedicate the new building to worship almighty God. In
March 1973, Rev. Ashford resigned as pastor, which led to the
loss of most of the membership, but "Little is much when God is in
it." A few adults and many children remained faithful to the Lord in
spite of the physical loss. On May 2, 1973, Rev. Melvin Butler,
Dyess AFB was employed to serve on an interim basis until a
permanent pastor could be called.
Continuing to pray and following God's lead and patiently waiting,
the Rev. R. M. Castle of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, Wichita
Falls, TX, preached for us on August 5, 1973, and again on
September 2nd in view of a call. Rev. Castle was elected to serve
as pastor following our morning worship services. We experienced
growth in the months following the call of Rev. Castle. Our Baptist
Women group was reinstated and met regularly. Two more choirs
were organized, junior and youth in addition to the sanctuary choir.
One deacon, Brother L. P. Denman, was ordained. God's spirit
moved and motivated us weekly as God's word was preached and
taught. However, because of circumstances, Rev. Castle was
unable to relocate with his family in a move to Abilene. After
commuting weekly for 8 months, he resigned April 26, 1974 to be
effective May 5, 1974.
Again, a series of supply pastors were used to preach until June
9th, 1974 when Rev. R. W. Steward came and preached for us
from Greater Saint James Baptist Church where he had served as
assistant pastor for three years. lmmediately following morning
worship a vote of all present elected Rev. Ronald Winston Steward
to serve as pastor. Rev. Steward labored at Holiday Hills for
eleven and one-half years and accomplished great
things for the Lord. His first years saw physical growth and
adoption of the first budget in a faithful attempt to build a biblical
base stewardship program. A group called "Echoes of Joy" had
been organized, a successful singing group representing Holiday
Hills. The initial Women's Day Annual as held with a banquet at
Mack Eplens Ticker Tape at downtown Abilene to kick off the
event. In addition, an all-church banquet was held, honoring a man,
woman, youth and auxiliary of the year. The initial Men's Day, two
revivals and one lay institute were held.
During Pastor Steward's second year, our Mission continued to
build. The stewardship program and membership grew. Bros. W.
C. Arrington and L. C. Dairy was ordinate to the office of deacon
joining Deacons J. D., Osborne and L. P. Denman. Our
membership doubled in three years through slow but steady
growth. In the fall of 1977, our mission's committee in conjunction
with Calvary's Mission Committee met and agreed that we are
ready with the Holy Spirit's guide to be constituted a church in
1978. A constitution-by-law committee was formed immediately
after Holiday Hills accepted the idea and began to work on rules
that should govern our church with the Holy Spirit at the helm. The
committee worked prayerfully and diligently with these rules and we
realize we are God's children both present and future. With the
Spirit and legal representation, a set of rules to govern was
approved and Holiday Hills Baptist mission became Holiday Hills
Baptist Church. Inc.
OUR CHURCH
ln January 1978, there was a month long celebration of God's
blessings and promotion from mission status to church hood.
During those weeks, our Choir Annual as a memorial was initiated
as we worshipped and praised God in song. Also during that time,
our fourth deacon, Roy O. Willis was ordained, and all auxiliaries
revived. Pastor Steward became church leader. In April 1978, we
had a rededication and cornerstone service in an official
conformation of our church hood status. ln 1979 our fifth deacon.
Robert F. Jones was ordained.
In November 1985, Pastor Steward submitted his resignation to be
effective January 1, 1986. As prayers went up to God through our
pulpit committee and membership, we were led to go to Baird's
First Baptist Church to hear Rev. Gregory Wilson Jones. Rev.
Jones preached for us in March 1986 and again in April in view of
a call. On Monday, April 21, 1986, at a special called business
meeting, Rev. Gregory Wilson Jones from Paul's Valley, OK, was
called to be our pastor. During the two years and eight months that
Pastor Jones led us, we saw spirits revived and faith
renewed. In December 1988, Pastor Jones resigned.
A pastor search committee was elected and set in motion
prayerfully seeking God's will for pastoral leadership. In June 1989,
we went to Lawton, OK, to meet with and hear Rev. Gary E.
Bender. While there we held an interview with him and his family.
Continuing to seek the will of God for Holiday Hills, we invited Rev.
Bender to come in June, again in August and preach in view of a
call.
On August21,1989, our church voted unanimously to call Gary
Eugene Bender as pastor. Since moving to Abilene as pastor from
Faith Memorial Baptist where he served as assistant to the pastor,
we have seen a forceful moving spirit in the transformation of lives,
and a tremendous
growth in membership.
In November 1991, a Day Care/Child and Development Center
was opened and continues to be in operation accommodating
parents who must leave their children to go to work. Pastor
Bender, a noted prayer warrior, was well known and very active in
our association and works on many committees, which serve to
aid our people. Many programs to help change and redirect lives
toward God are: "Follow me-Be Drug Free", Habitat for Humanity,
"Erase the Line", and other community action projects which
Pastor Bender were involved with which aids the lonely,
homeless, uneducated, jobless, prison bound, hungry, and lead the
lost to Christ. Our church has purchased new hymnals, organized a
gospel choir, and started a special prayer time, a prayer room, and
a nursery, which opened each Sunday for the youth.
In the summer of 1995 Pastor Bender accepted the calling to
Pastor a church in Lawton Oklahoma. The Pastor's Search
Committee was voted on by the church, consisting of a varied age
group, chaired by Ms. Erma Drew. The Committee met and set out
to find God's leader for Holiday Hills, through much prayer and
supplication, meeting weekly and having a prayer conference call
once a week. The church was without a pastor for about 20
months. Rev. Matthew Lubin served as interim Pastor during this
time and was a blessing.
After that they continued to pray and seek God's will for this church,
accepting resume after resume, visit several prospects and
praying. In March of 1996 the committee received the resume of
on, Durward L. Minor l, then pastor of Third Mount Olive
Missionary Baptist Church in West Point, Mississippi. After much
prayer and contact with Pastor Minor the committee decided to
journey to Mississippi to hear Reverend Minor preach and for an
interview. During a regularly scheduled committee meeting to
decide if enough time had elapse with this candidate and whether
to move on or contact one last time, the telephone ring and it was
the Reverend Durward L. Minor l, the Lord moved on his heart and
he accepted the invitation to preach in view of a call. He came in
October of 1996 and preached in view of a call and was voted in
as Pastor the following week. He traveled back and forth the
remainder of the year and was moved to Texas permanently
December 271h, 1996, to begin his Pastorate.
Pastor Minor began a spiritual leadership from the very beginning,
challenging the men in the church to be "Spiritually led" leaders not
only in church but at home as well, building the music ministry, the
youth, Sunday school, Fellowshipping with local churches, the
Association and the community in which Holiday Hills resides. He
quickly became known as a " Servant of God" a friend, a family
man, and an Ambassador for God. He served on numerous
committees, most notably 1st Vice President of the Greater
Ministerial Alliance of Abilene, and Hendricks Hospital Board
Trustees.
During his tenure Roy Strahan and James Williams were ordained
as deacons. We paid off the existing edifice note, under the
leadership of Pastor Minor and established Holiday Hills as a
spiritual beacon not only for the church, but also for the Abilene
Community. On May 19th 2003, Pastor Minor after morning
worship announced he was resigning, and was
giving his two weeks notification.
In June 2003 the church voted on a new pastor's search
committee, and prayers and work began immediately to find a
shepherd for the Holiday Hills Church family. After reviewing
applications and continuing to keep the prayer lines open, the
search committee agreed to interview two candidates of which
Pastor Michael Eaton was one.
On March 2004 the pastor's search committee went to Richardson,
TX to interview Pastor Michael Eaton, an associate pastor and
former Singles Pastor at Concord Missionary Baptist Church,
Dallas, TX. On March 14th, 2OO4 the committee went to hear
Pastor Eaton preach at Allen Community Church, Allen, TX. After
much consideration and prayer, the committee decided to ask
Pastor Eaton to come and preach in view of a call, Sunday May
9th, 2004.
A special meeting was called Tuesday, May 11th for the church to
vote. The results were overwhelmingly in favor of accepting Pastor
Eaton as Pastor of Holiday Hills Baptist Church. Holiday Hills is
very blessed to have a Pastor with a vision who is eager to serve
God and be of service to the church and the church body.
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