About Us
Hillcrest Baptist Church
A Legacy of Faith on the Hill
From a Living Room to a Beacon of Hope
When World War II erupted, the Richmond area transformed almost overnight—swelling from 20,000 to 100,000 souls. Among the influx were countless Southern Baptists who traveled west to work at the Kaiser Shipyards, yet they found no Southern Baptist church to call home. But God was already preparing the way.
Elijah Waltman of Vallejo received a copy of The California South Baptist, which announced that Rev. A.J. Byrd was available to help organize a new church. On July 4, 1943, in the Waltman family living room, 18 charter members gathered to establish the First Southern Missionary Baptist Church, calling Rev. Byrd as their first pastor.
A modest 20 x 30-foot building rose at 733 S. 47th Street—but it proved woefully inadequate by the second Sunday. Worshippers sat on boards, benches, and chairs until an addition expanded capacity to 275 the following year. When the war ended, many returned south, but a faithful remnant remained, ready to build something enduring.
Growing Pains and Divine Provision
Rev. E.J. Combs assumed leadership in January 1946, launching missions that would blossom into independent churches. With an $18,000 loan from the North American Mission Board, the congregation purchased an adjoining lot and constructed a three-story building—moving in before heat or lights were installed, so eager were they to gather.
On September 24, 1948, Rev. Earl Bigelow became pastor, and the church experienced explosive growth. First Southern Baptist Church of Richmond soon ranked among California's largest congregations, with Sunday School attendance exceeding 700.
Dr. A.J. Hyatt (1952–1956) shepherded overflowing crowds averaging 400, purchasing and demolishing government housing to clear space for an education building. Yet as the neighborhood declined, members traveled ever-greater distances to worship.
Rev. Robert Lewis (1956–1959) dreamed of a "mission on wheels," purchasing a bus that brought dozens each week. When Rev. E.J. Jacks arrived, the city announced plans to run a street directly through the church property.
A New Foundation on the Hill
Rev. Carroll Gibson accepted the challenge as the Richmond Redevelopment Agency purchased the church for $150,000. Trustees discovered an 11-acre site on Hillcrest Road, and groundbreaking took place in March 1963. Just one year later, the new sanctuary was dedicated—and the church was renamed Hillcrest Baptist Church.
Rev. Robert Rooks (1966) developed the new setting, training scores of Sunday School teachers. In 1969, Levi Price, Jr., a student at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, was called as pastor and led the church through financial crisis when Diversified Church Financing declared bankruptcy, absconding with $50,000 of church funds. Through it all, Hillcrest endured.
Tragedy and Triumph
Rev. John O. Hughes was called in 1974, but his tenure was marked by profound grief. His wife, Sandy, lost her battle with cancer on February 14, 1977. The church rallied around their grieving pastor and his two young daughters, and Rev. Hughes continued to inspire through his unwavering faith.
Exactly two years to the day after Sandy's death, Rev. Hughes passed away following a heart bypass operation. A poem found in his possession captured his spirit: "Dear God, Thy will, nothing more, nothing less."
In December 1979, seminary student Rev. Terry Arnold arrived. But by 1982, the church faced a new adversary—nature itself. The hill behind the church began sliding toward the parking lot. Members worked around the clock, holding back the mud with sheer determination.
In June 1983, Rev. Terrence Evans accepted the challenge to "move the mountain." The costly project drained the church's finances, with only half the work completed. But God intervened dramatically—on Thanksgiving 1986, a judge ordered the insurance company to pay $385,000 to complete the hill restoration. The motto of that season echoed the words of 1 Corinthians 15:57—"Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ gave victory to move the mountain of mud."
Enduring Through Change
Rev. Jerry Ash (1991) shepherded the church through the aftermath of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which left Hillcrest remarkably unscathed. Rev. Raymond Haynes served from 1992 to 1995, followed by Rev. Joe Caldwell in 1996, who shifted worship toward a more traditional style and restructured church committees. The congregation considered relocation but ultimately voted to remain on Hillcrest Road—rooted and determined.
A New Century, A New Season
In August 2001, Theodore "Ted" Goslen arrived from Kamuela, Hawaii, with his wife Leah serving as music minister. Over 21 years, Pastor Ted became the longest-serving pastor in Hillcrest's history, leading the congregation to embrace the changing community around them. Today, Hillcrest seeks to be a multi-generational, multi-ethnic congregation, building disciples and ministering to all who come.
On July 1, 2018, Hillcrest celebrated 75 years of faithful ministry with an overflow worship service, a baptism, and joyful fellowship. The theme from 1 Samuel 7:12—"Thus far the Lord has helped us"—reminded all that God's guidance had sustained them for three-quarters of a century.
On October 16, 2022, the Lord called Pastor Ted home after a seven-month battle with cancer—fittingly, on a Sunday. Theodore was aptly named, for all who knew him were blessed by the gift of his life.
A Legacy Continues
On March 2, 2025, Reverend Doctor Curtis B. Flemming Sr. was called as pastor, arriving from Columbia, South Carolina, with his wife, Dr. Nancy McAfee Flemming, MD, and their two sons, Ephraim and Jonas.
God has been faithful through every season—through living rooms and sanctuaries, through mudslides and mountains moved, through joy and sorrow. Hillcrest Baptist Church stands today as a testament to unwavering faith, a legacy of hope and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ that continues to flow from the Hill into the world. “Thus far the Lord has helped us."—1 Samuel 7:12
“We are Hillcrest” video history of HBC: